Figuring It Out
by Lady Nikka
Summary: Set in Season 2, between episodes 9 & 10. Andy and Chris deal with some stuff from their breakups, Sam gets jealous, and Boyd makes his return. And everyone has an opinion.
1. Chapter 1:Kisses in Bars

_**This is just something that has been popping in and out of my head for weeks. I actually had a dream about it last night and decided it was time to write it out. I hope you all like it enough for me to continue, but if you hate it, I won't bother to bore you.**_

_**This story is set sometime between Season 2, episode 9 and episode 10. **_

_**Nikka**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Rookie Blue, but after Season 2... I think I'm okay with that for now :)**_

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><p>It had been a long time a coming. A very, very long time. The coppers of 15 Division needed desperately to let loose and forget about the troubles associated with their jobs. This week had been especially trying for all of them. No one had quite recovered from the Zoe Martinelli murder wrap up or the fall out between the golden boy detective and the rookie who was turning out to be one hell of a cop.<p>

The senior officers huddled around their usual table drinking in relative silence. No one liked when a kid went missing, especially when the mom didn't make it. But after four long days, they had been able to be apart of the team that found the little boy and brought him back to his distraught father. Life was bitch sometimes, and no one understood it or the effects that it had upon them like the friends who they had spent most of their adult lives working along side.

It was different for each of them. For the senior officers, it was the solemn recognition that this didn't break them. They had witnessed the evils of the world again, and they had all pulled each other through. For the rookies, the silence was much different. The five of them were still trying to figure out what kind of coppers they were going to be. They hadn't seen how truly cruel life could be, but they would before too long. The little glimpse they got from this case would stay with them. Taking silent sips of their drinks and staring off into space, the rookies didn't even begin to process what they had seen.

Like usual, Andy decided that she wasn't going to take this laying down. Sam watched her cautiously as she stood up abruptly, shocking her friends somewhat, and made a beeline for the bar. He watched her signal Liam and then arched his eyebrow at her as she slid behind the bar smirking at him. Andy was clearly looking for something and Sam was quite sure that she wasn't going to like it overly much. When she found what she was looking for, Andy's face lit up a bit. Sam felt his stomach flip flop a little bit. He absolutely loved her smile, even the sad ones. If she was smiling, Sam knew that the world wouldn't stay sideways forever.

Sam watched Liam come up next to her to see what she had found and smirked at her goofy expression. As she straightened up and shook the bottle in a teasing manner to indicate what she'd found, Liam let out a deep laugh before hip checking her. Andy's boisterous laughter seemed out of place for the somber mood of the Penny tonight, but it made him smile to see her spirit unbroken after this case.

Sam hated that she had been with him when they found the woman hacked up, her expression had been heart breaking especially when the woman's ex husband showed up asking after his son. He knew that she was deeply troubled by this case, and that'd she probably have nightmares. Sam just hoped she'd talk to him about it. But for now, all he could do was hold on to that laughter, that smile. That's what was going to help him and everyone else return to normal. It was her gift.

Liam smirked at Andy but went to reach for the bottle of what looked to be like very, very expensive whiskey. Andy pulled it quickly behind her and put on her best pout face. Sam was slightly annoyed by her antics, after all, that petulant face was the one she used on him when she was trying to get _him_ to cave into her. Liam shook his head at her finally decided to give in. He was rewarded with a megawatt smile from Andy as she turned to head back to the other side of the bar. Looking back over her shoulder, Andy blew Liam a kiss and then promptly yelped when he snapped the towel he'd been holding against her bottom.

Sam watched through narrowed eyes as Andy made her way back to her friends with her stolen bottle of whiskey. He also couldn't help but notice that she rubbed her bottom from where she had been smacked. Just what he needed to be looking at, he thought bitterly to himself. Sam tried to remind himself that he was going to be the good guy and give her some time and space. It'd been almost a month and Andy was showing signs of getting better but she was still angry and wasn't quite herself yet.

"You know, you never did get around to that talk I told you to have with her," Oliver said in knowing voice effectively breaking Sam from his thoughts.

Sam slid his gaze from his rookie, _former_ rookie, and over to his best friend. He just looked at him blankly, but that didn't mean his eyes didn't convey volumes. Clearly in no mood to continue this conversation with his best friend, Sam just allowed his gaze to bore into his friend as he silently tried to intimidate him into silence.

For a moment, Sam had thought that Ollie would finally back down. That he would actually let the subject drop for this one time. Oliver was nothing if not persistent, but Sam wasn't quite convinced it was safe enough for him to put his heart out there were his partner was concerned. Confidence was never something he had ever had to struggle for. Things just came easily to Sam, and when they weren't going his way, Sam had the strangest gift of somehow making it all turn out in his favor. At least that's how it used to be before Andy McNally had tackled her way into his life and somehow, despite all odds, found her way into his heart.

As he watched his the way Oliver stared at him, Sam realized that his friend wasn't as easily intimidated as he was before by his penetrating stare downs. Sam let out a sign and ducked his head suddenly finding his lap very interesting. Oliver could be damned persistent when he wanted to be.

"Sammy," Oliver said in a solemn voice. "You've got to speak up soon. This thing," Oliver motioned towards McNally and then back to Sam, "it will eat you alive. If you don't tell her that you love her, and yes you love her, and do it soon, you're going to hate yourself."

Sam looked up at Oliver ready to dispute the fact of loving McNally, even if it was a half assed attempt only to be silenced by the look of warning on Oliver's face. Damn it! When did Sam Swarek start being intimidated by Oliver Shaw, romantic sap, whipped husband, super dad?

"Stop being so damn stubborn. You are two of the most sickeningly stubborn people I have ever met." Oliver looked in McNally's direction and watched as she downed another shot despite the looks her friends were giving her. "I'm tired of watching that girl try to drink herself into oblivion. I think the only reason she was on her best behavior the last few days was because of that kid."

Sam instantly felt guilty for not intervening before. He knew that Andy's behavior had been a bit odd and that she wasn't in danger of becoming an alcoholic, but she had been going a bit overboard lately. At first Sam had merely chalked it up to her being in pain and he'd practically pushed the shots down her throat the first night.

Rule number one of breakups, get drunk, act up, make yourself feel like crap, and realize that you survived it all the next morning. He remembered telling her that before downing the tequila shot with her. The alcohol would make her forget for tonight, and feel so bad in the morning that she wouldn't have the energy to think about Callaghan and his cheating ways. It was a temporary distraction, and necessary, but eventually, he knew she'd tire of it and by then, she would have gotten over the mess and start healing. The drinking was just the first step.

"She's okay Ollie," Sam said looking at Andy toss back another shot. "She knows all to well the dangers of alcohol. She's just going through the steps," Sam turned back to his beer and shrugged at his friend. "Besides, I've got her back. I won't let it get out of hand."

"Riiight," Oliver drawled out disbelievingly. "The 12 steps of Swarek break up rules. How could I forget."

Sam fixed a glare on him before smirking. "There aren't 12 steps Ollie. Then again, you might be a bit foggy on the details being an old married man an all. But drinking the key first step."

"More like all the steps," Oliver muttered.

Sam smirked at his friend. "You wound me. It's one of the first steps. And it may be a couple others, but there are more steps."

Oliver and Sam had been pulled into a debate about the merits of the Swarek steps to breakups when Jerry, Noelle, and even Frank were pulled into the discussion. Despite enjoying the lively conversation that had replaced the somber moods of the senior officers, Sam continued to glance in Andy's direction. He watched as she took another shot, he'd lost count around ten or so and was slightly annoyed that her friends had continued to encourage her.

Sam was waiting to see if he should intervene in this train wreck, but he decided that her friends would know when it had been enough. The rookies were trying to find a way to cope with the events from this case, and he was going to let them. This was no different then how he and his friends had handled their own tough cases early in their careers. Sam was immediately grateful to Diaz who managed to wrangle the bottle away from McNally who'd been ordering shots be drank by each of them. He tucked it under his chair and still managed to keep up the appearance of laughing at something Andy was saying with her big expressive hand gestures.

Some time later that night, Andy had finished her story after making all of her friends laugh thoroughly. She smiled broadly clearly proud of herself for taking her friend's minds off the gruesome case they had managed to close today. It didn't escape her notice that it was late, or that Gail had been impatient to leave. It likewise didn't escape her notice that as Gail left to say her goodbyes, she was meeting someone. When the door to the Penny opened, the last person Andy had expected to see was Luke, but she merely sobered a little through her drunkenness and tried to determine if it bothered her.

When Andy was convinced that she really wasn't hurt by Gail and Luke getting together, she looked over at Chris. Lovable, heart of gold Chris. How was he going to take the news. The door slamming shut behind Gail made Andy jump a bit and Andy felt a hand on her shoulder.

She looked up with wide eyes to Chris's somber expression. In that moment, Andy knew that Chris already knew and wanted to make sure that she was okay. Andy was over Luke, but the pain of his infidelity still stung. It also shocked her into a bit of numbness that one of her own friends would be the next romantic partner in her ex's life, but that was their decision she supposed. She didn't want to go back, and she didn't regret the relationship being over, just how it ended.

Without thinking Andy swallowed and then reached out for the bottle intending to pour both herself and Chris a shot. They both needed it right this moment.

When Andy didn't find the bottle she looked up at Chris expectantly and before she could look to her other friends, she caught his guilty expression. Andy knew that she needed to break this morose feeling that was in danger of overtaking them. So she opted for laughter.

Andy lunged at Chris catching her other friends off guard. He caught her and knew instantly that she had already figured out that he had taken the bottle of whiskey and that it was under his chair. Somehow, he manged to wrestle her to his lap and held her there despite her flailing about as she tried to simultaneously reach for the bottle and free herself from his grasp.

When Andy finally realized that she wasn't getting away from Chris, she settled down and wrapped her arms around his neck as she sat on his lap.

"You know Chris," she teased. "It's really no fair that you use the fact that you are physically stronger than me to keep from the alcohol that we both need so much after seeing who was on the other side of the door."

Chris pulled back enough to look her in the eyes and brushed her hair behind her ear then shrugged. "Nah, we'll both be good without it. And we know that we're both better off without them."

She looked at him for a moment and then smiled slowly. "Yeah, you're right." She turned her head to the side before sliding off of his lap. "Besides, they kinda deserve each other you know?"

"Andy," Chris said in a warning tone.

"Yeah , yeah, I know." she said in a chastised voice. "Can I at least have the bottle back so I can give what's left back to Liam before we head out?"

Chris thought twice about handing the bottle back to her, but then gave in when he saw her little pout. "No funny business you hear me," he warned her in a stern voice. "You've had enough."

"Yes, sir!" She saluted him before taking the bottle and stumbling up to Liam. She handed the bottle back to him with a sassy smile that she knew he'd appreciate. After letting him scold her and telling her that he hoped she'd wish she'd never been born in the morning, he winked at her and asked who was taking her home. Andy flashed her best smile and said Chris's name and then turned to walk back over to her friends who were finishing up their own drinks.

Chris held her jacket for her as she slipped it on and then after a couple fumbled attempts at zipping her coat, he swatted her hands away and zipped it all the way up for her. Andy scowled at him before he took her chin in his hands so that she had to look at him.

"You're going to be okay again Andy," he said sincerely. "We both are."

It might have been the copious amounts of alcohol that she'd consumed that night. Maybe it was the emotional beating she'd been through this week. In that moment, looking at her friend who might have also had a bit too much to drink, Andy found it unbearable to think that his demons might possibly get the better of him tonight.

Without any thought to what she was doing, Andy stepped forward quickly and grabbed the front of Chris's jacket and pulled him towards her. Before he could register what was happening, Andy was up on tip toes kissing him.

Chris's hands immediately went to her waist and somehow, though if you asked either of them afterwards they wouldn't know how it happened, the kiss deepened. They were lost in the very strange, yet oddly satisfaction of their kiss when cat calls from from the bar broke them apart.

Both looked at the other with a wide eyed shock as their chests heaved. Chris was the first to regain his wits and spoked in a husky voice as Andy touched her lips with her finger tips.

"I think it's time to go home now Andy."

At first she didn't seem to hear him, and she continued to touch her lips somewhat shocked with herself. After she didn't respond to Chris calling her name again, he got a bit worried. Neither seemed liked they noticed that every eye in the bar was on them.

Chris let out an exasperated sigh as she failed to respond and did the only thing he could thing of to her out of the bar. He reached down and picked her up throwing her over his shoulder and proceeded to leave the bar carrying her like a sack of potatoes.

It wasn't until Chris had taken a step with he over his shoulder that Andy realized what was happening. As the absurdity of the situation became apparent to her she let out a peel of giggles before protesting that she could walk. When Chris continued walking to the door with no intention of putting her down she reached to swat his bottom and continued to giggle at this ridiculous situation letting the door slam after they left.

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><p>Sam had been watching throughout the night and couldn't have been more shocked than when Andy suddenly lunged at Chris and wound up sitting on his lap with her arms around his neck. The scene was looking a bit too intimate for his liking and even Oliver was watching the rookies with an open expression of concern.<p>

After a comment about Andy having been staying with Chris while Dov was playing house with his new bomb squad girlfriend, Sam felt his temper flare a bit. He couldn't help but be over protective of Andy. It was a part of him that he had no hope in denying. There was good part of him that wanted to smash Chris Diaz's face in for holding Andy, but he had to let this play out. They were good friends after all. They were like siblings.

That was the train of thought that Sam had as he watched Andy return the bottle of whiskey back to Liam. His anger started to rise again as he watched Chris smack Andy's hands away from her zipper and zip her coat for her. If that had been Sam, no matter how drunk Andy was, she would have fought him and told him that she could take care of herself. Instead, she just silently watched Diaz zip up her coat with little protests.

Sam felt his jaw stiffen as Chris leaned in to say something to Andy. Whatever it was that Chris said, Sam sure as hell wasn't expecting what happened next. He watched in horror as Andy grabbed the front of Chris's coat and pulled him in for kiss that seemed to deepen as soon as Diaz had his arms around her. Sam honestly thought he was going to be sick.

As the two broke the kiss after a few cat calls and whistles, Sam knew why is was then men killed their wives or girlfriends and their lovers. As a cop it was disgusting, but in this moment, Sam knew that is justifiable homicide. He set his drink down and took a step in the direction of his rookie but stopped when Chris hoisted her over his shoulder.

Sam stared after them with a war of emotions battling in his chest. Hearing her laughter as Chris made his way out of the Penny with her on his should almost induced Sam to vomit.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind the pair, Sam felt a firm slap hit the back of his head. In no mood to deal with much from anyone, he spun with a murderous look to face his attacker. Oliver met his thunderous look with one of his own.

"This is all your fault," Oliver exclaimed. "All you had to do was tell her. Idiot!"

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><p><em><strong>There it is, a little musing from my mind. Not sure if it's worth continuing, though I definitely know where I want it to go. You amazing readers will be the one's who determine if I continue with this. And please don't hate me! I can feel your angerdispleasure already!**_


	2. Chapter 2: Good in My Shirt

_**I am absolutely overwhelmed by your responses. I thought for sure this story was going to be dead in the water with the departure from the Sam/Andy story line. You have been absolutely amazing in your kindness and willingness to ride this out with me through the twists and turns I'm sure won't make you happy all of the time!**_

_**Thank you!**_

_**Nikka**_

_**I own nothing. Sadly. And the inspiration is from the Keith Urban song, You look good in my shirt.**_

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><p>"Andy, c'mon get up."<p>

She heard the voice clearly, despite being wrapped up in the comforter determined to block out all sunlight and morning chill. After the the second time he called her, Andy the bed dip as he crawled onto the bed and knew that he was leaning over the top of her. Almost as soon as Andy realized that, the recognition that she was about to be shaken awaken made her cringe and burrow further into the blankets determined to hold them in case her assailant decided to get cute and tug her blanket cocoon away.

"Andy, we're gonna be late." She smirked at the sound of Chris's voice, he was particularly whiny. "C'mon Andy." Right on cue, the blankets were tugged in attempt to expose her to the harsh elements of the morning.

On cue Andy rolled in an attempt to keep the blankets snugly around her as Chris grabbed a handful and flung himself back in an attempt to extricate her from his bedding. She mumbled something incoherent and she knew that Chris was struggling not to laugh at her.

"C'mon Andy," Chris pleaded with her. "We can't be late. Best will stick on desk or worse make us do more of the D's paperwork."

After a few more attempts at prodding her to get up, Chris grinned in victory as he not only the edge of the blanket making an appearance, but also that Andy had unconsciously moved towards the edge of his bed. "Alright Andy," Chris said to her in a resigned voice. The grin on his face brightened a bit. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"What are you-"

She was cut off when Chris grabbed the edge of the blanket that she had exposed and shoved her over the side of the bed. He was laughing at her before she even hit the floor with a heavy thud and a yelp.

When Chris saw her murderous look he only starting laughing harder at her. She huffed at him and narrowed her eyes before catching the alarm clock out of the corner of her eye. "Chris! We have to be out of her in five minutes and I haven't showered!"

Before he could react, Andy jumped up and ran to across the hall to the bathroom but didn't shut the door all the way. He knew from the previous week that she had already jumped into the shower with her toothbrush in an attempt at multi-tasking while washing her hair. Shaking his head at her, Chris grabbed her duffel bag from his room and headed out to start the car.

In four and half minutes, Andy came running out of the house with her wet her still dripping and climbed clumsily into the passenger seat. As she buckled her belt and reached to turn the radio volume down in an attempt to soothe her headache, she looked over at Chris who was still amused with her hectic morning routine.

"I really do need to get some of my clothes from Traci's. I can't keep wearing all your shirts to bed."

Chris laughed at her and shook his head. "It's okay Andy," he cast her a sideways glance and laughed again. "You look good in my shirt! Well, shirts, since you've now worn several of them to bed."

Andy smirked at him and couldn't help but laugh at his goofiness. "If you keep saying things like that, I might just have to steal your shirts. Annnnd" she drawled looking at him with a smirk. "I might not give them back."

Chris laughed as he pulled into the division parking lot. "Just remember Andy, I know where you sleep."

They laughed as they quickly made their way into the division and their separate locker rooms to get ready for their shift.

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><p>In the parade room, the TO's sat in their usual spot at the back of the room discussing plans for the next two days off. There was a giant polka dot elephant in the room that was dancing in a tutu, but none of them where willing to acknowledge it. None of them were brave enough to risk his wrath this morning, especially taking into account the way that his rookie had made her exit from the Penny last night and how much scotch he had drank after the fact. No one was that brave.<p>

It didn't escape their notice either that he sat rigidly in the chair waiting for her routinely barely on time entrance for parade. Noelle shifted her eyes over to Oliver to see if he put the pieces together yet that Andy McNally wasn't the only missing from parade this morning. Clearly he already had because when Jerry took his usual spot to them and opened his mouth, Oliver clamped a hand over his mouth before he could say anything about both Diaz and McNally missing this morning.

Before anyone could shoot off a warning glance, they heard heavy footfalls getting closer to the parade room. Suddenly the sound of the running grew louder as everyone swiveled in their chairs to see Andy push Chris into the door frame as she skidded past him using the other side of the door to propel her pivot into the room.

Seeing that all eyes were on them, the pair straightened up and attempted to walk calmly to their usual chairs next to their friends while smoothing out their uniform. Sam for his part merely turned his chair to follow their progress towards the front of the room through narrowed eyes and rising temper. He didn't miss the way that Andy's cheeks were flushed with embarrassment or how her hair was still wet and in a haphazard braid or the way her eyes twinkled with mischief.

Sam tried to remind himself that Chris and Andy were just friends. After her breakup with Callaghan she had been staying with Traci at his insistence, and he knew that she would start feeling guilty about staying with her friend. With Dov's new personal relationship picking up speed, it seemed only logical that Andy would stay there for awhile. That seemed only logical.

Those calming thoughts went out the window when he watched Andy say something to Chris. Sam watched in a demented sort of fascination as Chris turned towards Andy with a questioning look. With a teasing smile and a bizarre sense of comfort that seriously disturbed his peace of mind, Sam watched as Andy reached up to adjust Chris's tie and then pat his chest and laugh at his slightly embarrassed smile.

Sam didn't even have time to realize the jealousy that was building in his chest when he saw the murderous look on a certain detectives face. It was no secret that Luke had been a mess after Andy left him. Sam almost felt sorry for him. Almost. He couldn't imagine a worse fate than having Andy's love and then doing something so foolish as to lose it.

As Best entered the room demanding everyone's attention for the daily announcements, Sam rubbed his face as if trying to peel his skin away. He reached instantly for the pack of gum in his pocket and was determined to stop himself from spewing too much venom but stuffing as much gum in his mouth as he could chew.

Oliver hadn't missed anything that happened before Best started. He was grateful that Sam seemed intent on stuffing his mouth with gum and silently reminded himself to buy him a pack or two to help him get through the shift. Oliver let out an audible sigh of relief that was acknowledged by both Noelle and Jerry when Best announced that Diaz was assigned with him for the day. _Thank God! That means Sammy can't try and kill him during shift at least._

When Sam was assigned Epstein for the day he rolled his neck in a way that clearly indicated his temper was on the rise. Oliver almost felt bad for Epstein, but decided that McNally wouldn't be the optimal choice for Sam's partner today. One or both them wouldn't survive the shift with how this morning was turning out. McNally had been grimaced and tensed as she was assigned to help the detectives today.

Noting the way Sam turned his chair slightly towards Callaghan's direction, Oliver surmised that the look he couldn't see clearly conveyed a warning. This day was really going to hell in a hand basket.

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><p>As Sam made his way towards the coffee, he chomped down on his gum. Between the headache and trying to figure out what the hell was going on between his rookie and Diaz, Sam thought he mind just have an anurism.<p>

Under normal circumstances, he might have noticed Andy's light perfume as she got closer to him, but today he was too distracted. Sam nearly jumped out his skin when he felt someone press something into his hand. Looking up, he saw Andy's small smile and heard her laugh she watched him open his hand to see two Advils.

"You look like you could use those today," she sniffed trying to wait patiently beside him as they waited their turn to get coffee. "I've already had four."

Sam snorted and looked at her profile for a moment. "Happens when you decide that you're _soooo_ awesome that you can drink straight whiskey for nearly an hour."

Before Andy could answer with a reply that was sure to annoy him, Chris joined them.

"Hey Andy," he said distractedly as he tugged the coat from under her arm. "I think you've got my jacket."

Sam decided it was prudent to remain silent and not comment on this exchange. He began chewing his gum harder, wishing at that moment that he could hit something.

"Why would I have your coat?"

Chris checked the tag on the coat and gloated as he showed her that she had definitely had his coat and handed her the one he had under his arm. "Because they were both on my bedroom floor this morning as you decided that you didn't like where I had them while you were rushing to get ready."

"Riiiiight," Andy teased. "Mr. Neat Freak. My apologies you must really love that I didn't make the bed this morning too."

Sam struggled not to inhale too sharply at their words or how easily they discussed their morning and pet peeves. He was in the middle of trying to reason with himself that close friends could know these things about each other and that nothing more was going on. _Yeah that's it Sammy. It's just because she's rooming with him now._

Before Anything else could be said yet another annoying person decided to drop in for a chat before Sam could escape the building.

"Sammy! McNally," Donovan Boyd called out in an all together too cheerful mood. "My two favorite people."

"No." The partners said simultaneously.

Boyd looked at them with a mischievous smile. He watched, seeming to find it humorous the way that Chris excused himself to head out for the day before turning to look at Sam and Andy. He smiled as nicely as he was capable and held out the two cups of coffee to them.

Sam and Andy exchanged a look that silently conveyed their skepticism and they reached out for the coffees as cautiously as possible. Boyd was tempted to laugh as they both sniffed the coffees before taking a sip. His smiled widened as he watched their faces contort in disgust and look at each other before switching the coffees. Taking a second sip, they both seemed satisfied with the switch and looked at Boyd expectantly.

"Not that we don't appreciate the visit Boyd," Sam said gruffly, "But to what do we owe the honor of your visit?"

Boyd didn't miss the smirk on McNally's face as she listened to Sam's bored voice. Boyd's face lit up a bit knowing he was going to aggravate both of them with one easy step.

"Well Sammy," he began cockily. "Got a big case coming up and I need some help."

Boyd almost laughed out loud as he watched McNally stiffened and dart her eyes to Sam's face. Sam grinned at him and said a simple "No."

"Aww Sammy," Boyd smiled again. "I'm hurt you don't even want to hear what I've got going on, but its not you I want." His eyes switched over to McNally again making Sam bristle. "I want her."

"No."

"Best already approved it Sammy," he shrugged at the pair not so secretly enjoying this little drama. "She's not going out in the field, just helping me with paperwork. You'll get her back in a week or so."

Andy look defeated at Sam and he looked over and tried to reassure her. He was definitely going to talk to Best and get her pulled from Boyd's detail. He watched silently has Andy followed Boyd in a manner that indicated anything but a willingness to go.

Sam looked up at the ceiling trying to figure out why exactly he got out of bed this morning. _This day was really going to hell._

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><p><em><strong>I hope I'm still managing to keep your interest. Boyd really is an ass don't you think? Sorry I really can't resist making him such a jerk. :)<strong>_


	3. Chapter 3: Curveball

_**Again... I am amazed and trying to get back to each of you between working on my research paper which is turning into a hellish mess. If I have not gotten back to you personally yet, I will do so before the weekend is out!**_

_**For those of you who like Boyd... He serves a purpose... And he's not all bad in my book. Just a bit annoying :)**_

_**To the two individuals who weren't kind enough to leave me a review that I couldn't respond back to, I deeply apologize for you not liking the story line. Despite your rather strong opinions, I am not a teenager or naive. I am a happy twenty something, who has been in successful (and yes, completely faithful and healthy ) relationships in my life. I am successful at my job and have not needed to play head games in relationships. I apologize for you not liking the story or the story lines. In my own defense however, Sam is not wimpy, Andy is not a slut, and Chris is not opportunistic. To put it simply, I am not sure where those characterizations are coming from, but I would be happy to debate them with you. It certainly is a new perspective on the story and a wholly unintentional one. I will continue to keep your viewpoints in mind, however, I make no promises that I can or will make you happy. For that alone, I apologize.**_

_**That being said... on to the next chapter!**_

_**Nikka **_

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><p>Andy followed Boyd to the station conference room at a slow pace. She was in no hurry to be assigned his grunt work and wished there was some way she could out of it. The internal debate in her head told her that she was indeed stuck and there was no getting out. Checking her watch, Andy realized that her last day on rotation for this week had really only just begun. Boyd hated her for interfering in his ops, so she could only grimace at what he had planned for her. Sam always told her that payback was a bitch, and Boyd was a man who definitely enjoyed paying back favors.<p>

When they got to the conference room, Boyd held the door open for her with a smile and motioned for her to go in ahead of him. _It's never good when that man smiles, especially at me. _There was definite feeling of dread in her chest as she walked into the room.

Andy had already thought of a few excuses including a highly contagious airborne illness that she could come down with and if it came down to it, begging one of the training officers to attempt to bail her out of this. Best had told her just last week that she should focus on working with the detectives more because it would put some of her talent to use. At the time, she'd been excited, despite Sam being in a somewhat grumpy mood the whole rest of the day after Best's comments to her. In fact the only thing that he did besides glare at her was chomp on gum, snapping it in the silences stuck in the cruiser simply because he knew it annoyed her.

She had noticed that Sam had been chewing gum a lot lately. She was starting to realize that he only did this when he was really agitated and didn't want to say something he really wanted to, but probably wouldn't benefit him at all. Andy made a mental note to start carrying a pack of gum or two just to see if she could get Sam to crack a smile when she handed it to him. Her luck, he'd probably scowl and mess up so badly on the paperwork that she'd be stuck doing it for a week.

Andy was broken from her rambling thoughts by someone clearing their throat. She looked up a bit bewildered to see Jerry and Superintendent Peck in the room. Boyd placed his hand on the small of her back and pushed her inside the room closing the door and even locking it behind him.

If she was capable, Andy would have audibly gulped, instead she merely stared a bit more wide eyed then necessary. Andy managed to surprise herself with her level of comportment facing this group and somehow managed to merely raise an eyebrow while keeping the rest of her face relatively neutral.

"Officer McNally," Superintendent Peck began. Her voice clearly claimed authority. This was her show and now one would think otherwise. "So glad to have you join us."

Andy simply nodded and looked to the two men in the room for an explanation. Watching the look that the Superintendent sent towards Boyd, she saw him raise a hand to his jaw rubbing his face. He clearly didn't want to whatever it was he was being ordered to do here. Andy had to resist the urge to fidget and settled for curling her toe and unfolding it in her boot as a mode of getting the nervous energy out.

"McNally," Boyd looked at her with something like a perverse amusement on his face. "We have a slight complication with one of our CI's and need some help. It's a special circumstance, we don't quite have anyone trained for this."

Andy went from looking at Boyd to sending a slightly startled look towards Jerry and then to Superintendent Peck. The woman who generally made people feel as comfortable as her daughter wore a reassuring if not slightly amused smile.

"No offense," Andy asked a bit unsettled by this situation. "But, Boyd hates me. Doesn't want me within a 10 mile radius of his ops -"

"More like 20," Boyd cut in only to be silenced by a look from his commanding officer.

"Like Detective Body said Officer McNally," he voice was casual, almost bored. But there was no mistaking that is was predatory. "This is a special circumstance and Detective Barber here has assured me that you posses the... capabilities that we are looking for."

Andy's eyes shot towards Jerry who seemed slightly uncomfortable. This did not sound promising at all.

"Officer McNally, there is no need to be hesitant about this. It's in your blood. Your father was one hell of a cop and I was honored to work with him. This type of chance could make or break your career."

Andy looked at the woman before her in amazement and slight embarrassment at her having used Andy's father to strong arm her into saying yes before she even knew what it was that she was agreeing to. And then this nagging little voice was practically shouting a question at her in her mind.

"Permission to ask a question ma'am," Andy asked politely trying to ignore the disbelieving looks on the faces of Jerry and Boyd.

Andy squared her shoulders and held her head confidently despite feeling anything but confident about her question. "Why me ma'am? I mean, it's just that," Andy stumbled a bit on her words. "It's no secret that you want Gail to pursue other avenues that will lead to her advancement. Why give me an opportunity where she is a viable substitute?"

Jerry and Boyd merely gawked at her audacity though were slightly impressed at her nailing their own question on the head. Gail Peck was a bit calmer under pressure and was definitely out to advance in her career, but she lacked the passion for the job that Andy had. There was a definite smirk on the superintendent's face.

"There are certain tasks that my daughter most definitely does not possess the necessary skills for." She paused a moment almost thoughtful. "This is definitely one of those tasks and besides. You've spent nearly two years partnered with one of the best UC operatives that we've ever had. There is no way that those experiences and training haven't rubbed off on you given the working relationship that you two have."

Andy looked a bit dumbfounded and honestly hadn't expected that answer. She knew that there was a good chance that she was going to push buttons with her question, but she hadn't expected so much directness.

Andy let out a sigh of relief hoping to find the catch in this whole thing before it was too late to say no.

* * *

><p>Sam had been grateful to have his day finally over. Despite all his predictions, Epstein had actually been on his best behavior today. He had been relatively quiet, which was completely unexpected, but Sam wasn't going to put a lot of brain power into figuring that out. He was simply going to enjoy it and the relatively slow day that he had with just enough activity to keep it from getting dull.<p>

Sam dismissed Epstein and made his way over to Shaw who looked like he stuck in the middle of a perplexing issue. "If you look at that paper any harder, you might just lose the last few brain cells that you have left."

Oliver looked up and made a face at him that told him just how funny he thought Sam was at that particular moment. Sam made an attempt at swiping the file from him before they fell into their easy chiding antics.

Eventually, Noelle joined the two men. "Either of you two seen the rookies? They've been oddly well behaved today."

Oliver laughed telling Noelle not to jinx things as he began pointing them out. "Peck and Nash are on desk, Sammy brought Epstein back, _alive._ Go figure." He cast a look in Sam's direction before finding it better to look somewhere else and continued. "McNally hasn't been seen all day and neither has Boyd for that matter. I wonder who's still alive."

Sam allowed a momentary look of concern to cross his face before his thoughts were interrupted by Noelle. "You missed one Ollie. When one goes missing it can be trouble."

"Nah Diaz is around here somewhere," Oliver turned his chair to look at him. "He's been checking his damn phone all and pouting because it's been silent. I swear at one point he made me call him like three times and send a text message just to make sure it was working."

Oliver almost instantly regretted saying so much about Diaz as he saw Sam tense up a bit. It was very clear that he was caught off guard with the rookies' behavior of late, but until he went and spoke to his rookie, there wasn't going to be any peace to be had.

At that moment, Oliver's rookie for the day chose to walk across the bullpen with a troubled look on his face. He still fiddling with his phone and trying to read a text message from the look of it. He stopped abruptly, appearing to read a message and then took a look around the room. Chris looked up and saw the training officers looking at him and looked a bit uncomfortable.

Suddenly a door slammed and a very pissed off Boyd stormed out of the hallway that led to the interrogation rooms. The man looked absolutely fit to be tied as he stormed up the stairs into Best's office and shut the door with a little bit too much gusto. Sam smirked proudly willing to bet a month's pay check that Andy McNally was the reason behind Boyd's temper tantrum. _That's my girl!_

Another moment from the hallway caught his attention causing him to lose focus on this amusement at Boyd's mood. Andy suddenly appeared in the bullpen, looking a bit flustered and clearly upset about something. Sam moved to slid off the desk seeing her shell shocked face but stopped when he saw her eyes land on Diaz.

Sam felt as though he was watching a scene from a movie instead of his life as he watched Andy look at Diaz for a moment before quickly making her way to him and reaching for his hand. Diaz looked startled at Andy's appearance, but allowed her to take his hand when she said something to him in a hushed voice. Sam watched helpless as she hauled the other rookie down the hallway and to the first interrogation room where the door shut firmly behind them.

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><p>Andy knew that she had pissed Boyd off with her request but at the moment, she didn't really care. She had been banned from telling anyone, but importantly Sam from what her assignment was. She had had to argue vehemently that since she was living with Chris, she had the right to tell him what was going on . She then had to promise on the fear of death that Chris wouldn't breath a soul to anyone, most especially to Sam.<p>

She moved ask quickly as she could to the squad room to try and find Chris before anyone could ask her any questions. He had been sending her messages all day asking if she was surviving Body, but she hadn't had a chance to acknowledge them. When she saw him she moved towards him quickly and grabbed his hand asking him to come with her.

Once the door to the interrogation room was shut, Andy moved to lock it. Turning back towards him she left out a sigh of relief.

"Chris I have to go away for a while."

He stepped forward clearly concerned for her. "Andy, what's wrong?"

She bit her lip as she tried to decide how to best continue. Andy decided she just needed to be blunt and get it over with.

"Boyd has a job for me. Apparently, I'm the only one that can do it. It's short, low stakes, purely information gathering."

Chris looked at her momentarily shocked at her words. "How long?"

"A couple weeks. Daytime thing only, not even full time. I'll be home for a late dinner." She sounded almost convinced that this was how it was going to play out.

Chris looked at her doubtfully and then concern made itself apparent on his face. "How are you going to explain your absence from rotation?"

"Boyd is going to be training me at headquarters. He needs a rookie for paperwork and some of the menial stuff. It's payback for the op we ruined."

"But you and Sam saved his ass on that op!"

"Chris!" Andy looked suddenly startled. "You can't talk about this, that's where I am officially."

"And unofficially."

"I can't tell you. Just know that I'll be okay. And under absolutely no circumstances can you say anything to Sam. Boyd was very clear about what would happen if Sam found out and interfered in this op."

"Yea, cuz do I look like I'm brave enough to incur the Swarek wrath?"

"No I guess not," she laughed at him. "Not that brave or not that dumb?"

"If I admit to the latter, then I'd be insulting your intelligence," He teased with a smirk before pulling Andy into a tight hug. "Be safe."

"Always," she said and hugged Chris back tightly.

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><p><em><strong>I hope you enjoyed this installment! Your reviews make my day!<strong>_

_**Nikka**_


	4. Chapter 4: PreShow Jitters

_**You guys are freaking awesome and I say that honestly. Thank you for the words of encouragement. It helped me write a bit faster this time around :) I should be working on my 25 page paper... but I have the whole rest of the week for that... too bad it can't be on RB fanfic! **_

_**I hope it's holding your interest and that you don't yell... to much for the bit of suspense... :-D**_

_**Nikka**_

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><p>Andy McNally wanted her day to be over. She wanted to be at the bar with her friends, drinking a few beers and laughing about something dumb. Usually, it would be one of Dov's antics and since he had been riding with Sam that day, there was sure to be plenty to laugh about. Andy knew that she secretly loved that Sam gave Dov such a hard time. Riding with him was always so much fun after a trip with Epstein, Sam made sure to be extra nice to her after riding with Dov. She had to admit, she enjoyed Sam babying her a bit too much for her own good.<p>

Shaking her head, Andy tried to focus on the case file in front of her. Boyd had hardly left her alone the entire day except when he stormed out of the interrogation room they had been working in to go talk to Best. This was all part of the show, make everyone think that she was being assigned for payback.

The more she thought about it, the more upset Andy was that she couldn't talk to Sam about this case. She had never gone undercover without his head before. It's not like she was really going undercover with this case, but she wasn't going one hundred percent as herself. The jitters were starting to get to her about this case and how potentially dangerous it could be if the target figured out she was a cop. And worse, there was a kid involved.

Thankfully, she had been able to tell Chris the truth about why she wasn't going to be around for the next few weeks, just not the details. The less Chris knew, the less worried he would be. Andy knew that letting him think that she was at HQ helping Boyd with a case, and that she would be home at night would convince him that she was safe. If Chris believed that, he'd keep the others at bay about what she was really doing.

Andy had sat back down in the chair to begin looking at the file that Boyd had left her with after Chris had left. She threw herself into the details of the case trying to absorb as much knowledge as she could. _Sam always said that the more you knew, the safer you were. It might terrify you, but it'd save your ass._

She was so absorbed in the file, that she didn't here Jerry enter the room. He shut the door quietly and crossed his arms over his chest looking at her for a moment. _This is the girl that Sammy loves. God help us if this case is more than Boyd is saying._ He cleared his throat making her jump as her head snapped up towards him. Her reaction was not reassuring.

"How are you processing it all," he asked her quietly still looking to see if she could handle this. Sam believed in her with every breath he had, so he had to as well. It was a hard pill for Jerry after remembering her prostitute gig.

"I'm fine," she stated with a shrug and looked back down at the file.

"Do you think Diaz will hold up under the pressure?" He watched her face pinch a bit before nodding at him. "He has to stay quiet about where you are, even from Sam. _Especially_, from Sam. That won't be easy once Boyd has you in place."

Andy visibly winced at Sam's name and closed her eyes. She hated that she couldn't tell him but Boyd had been very clear. Sam had already agreed to go under and her job would help lay the foundation for his cover. He wanted this ever since that day she had busted him. Andy refused to screw up. It could mean Sam's life.

"He knows how important Sa-," she paused seeing Jerry's eyes get wider. Andy took a breath and looked at him. "Chris knows that this is important. He won't break."

Andy looked down at her paper and then felt her lips quirk again. She shook her head trying to get the smile to fall off her face. Jerry for his part raised an eyebrow at her trying to figure out what could possibly be funny about this situation.

"What's so funny McNally?"

"I give it two days before Sam is stomping around this division like a baby. Three, maybe four days before he tries to corner Chris and bully him into talking, and by then he's going to figure out you know something and hound you. It will be five days before Oliver is begging for details because Sam won't stop brooding or annoying him."

"Ye of little faith McNally," he said is a somewhat surprised voice. Jerry watched her shrug at him before looking him in the eye with a calmness that might have startled him.

"I just know my partner."

Jerry just looked at her for a moment and then nodded. Right there in that moment, he knew why his best friend loved this girl. She got him. Despite his reservations about this rookie being worthy enough, Jerry knew that Sam would never for him or anyone else who helped her go undercover. More importantly, McNally needed to succeed to keep Sam out of trouble on his next op.

Jerry was trying not to think about all the ways that this could go wrong and end badly. The fallout would leave them all forever changed. There was no getting any way around that. Jerry looked up at the ceiling before pulling out a chair across from Andy and began going over the files

* * *

><p>Three hours later, both Jerry and Andy were mentally exhausted from going back and forth about the information in the files. Jerry had run out things to ask Andy. She had answered quickly without having to think too hard after the first hour. She was getting her story in place. It was becoming second nature for her. Jerry was secretly impressed with her. He'd never seen anyone take to a role so quickly or completely, well aside from Sam of course. It gave him chills to watch her as she became Gabriella Scott. She was so into her new persona that she had stopped answering him when he called her Andy or McNally.<p>

Convinced the she had this down, Jerry got up to go. He looked at both of their phones and realized that they had stopped beeping buzzing about thirty minutes ago. Clearly, they had been missed, but who ever was trying to reach either of them, had already given up.

"Ready to call it a night?"

"Yea," she muttered seeming to get introverted once again.

"What's wrong?"

Andy's eyes shot up to look him in the eye. He could see the tears that were forming, threatening to spill onto her cheeks. Despite how she had carried herself through the prepping phase, she was terrified. Jerry felt slightly annoyed with himself for not noticing until he remembered what Sam had told him about. _Andy McNally doesn't show weaknesses to anyone she doesn't trust. She holds everything in, so when you see it, whatever IT is, it's big._ A pang of anxiety shot through him.

"What is I screw this up," she asked him. Almost without taking a breath, Andy launched into a nearly full blown panic attack. "What is I give something away because I'm so knew? What if they catch on or I dont get the right information? What if Sam gets hurt because I do something wrong now?"

Jerry was slightly surprised by her rant. She was getting agitated and had gotten up to pace the room. He watched as she flailed her arms about as she shot questions off at him in a rapid fire sequence not allowing him to get a word in edge wise. He took his chance when she seemed to stop for a moment.

"You won't screw this up McNally. You won't let him down. He trusts you with his life, this is no different," Jerry stressed to her trying to calm her down. "You have to trust you as much as he does."

"It's that simple?" She asked sniffling a bit as a blush took over cheeks.

"It's that simple." Jerry looked at her for a moment. "For a whole month after the Gabe and Eddy thing, he was in awe at how effortless it was. How much of a natural _you_ were. Sam lives for the adrenaline rush and he's damn good at what he does, but he always works alone. You blew his mind with how you handled yourself in that op and how you didn't let him down." He finished his little speech seeing her revert back to introspection. "_Don't_ let him down now. He taught you too well."

Andy thickly swallowed her emotions and looked at Jerry. Still processing everything he had just said, she nodded at him. "I know. I won't."

"Good," he replied simply looking down at his phone that was vibrating again. "It's Traci probably wondering where we both are. Can I drop you off at her house?"

"No, I um," she looked a bit uncomfortable. "I live with Chris now."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Isn't that kinda crowded with Dov there and there little game room in the third bedroom?"

"Jerry, its-"

He cut her off without hearing what she had to say. Honestly, he didn't want to know what it was, he just wanted to know that she was affecting Sam with her actions. "I don't need to know anything, but I think your partner would like an explanation." He raised his hand to silence her again. "He's not your keeper, but he worries about you more than you think or he should."

When she didn't reply he said something he knew was probably best unsaid at the moment. "He loves you, you know?"

For the first time since Jerry had asked her not to let Sam down, she looked him in the eyes. There was a resolved there, and an honesty that almost took his breath away. "I know," she nodded. "I love him too."

* * *

><p>The Penny was crowded when Boyd walked in and it took him a moment to take in his surroundings. He saw the rookies to his left at their table. While they seemed to be talking animately, it was clear by the worried looks they kept sending their phones that something was wrong. He smirked enjoying just a bit that he was the cause for their worry and they didn't even know it yet. This group of rookies had sure as hell caused him a fair share of problems since they came to the 15th.<p>

Looking towards the bar, Boyd found his target fingering his glass of scotch while looking in the mirror behind the bar at every person that walked through the door. Boyd knew that he'd been seen, but was being ignored. He watched as his target looked down at his silent phone again and then raised the glass to his lips, finishing it in a gulp and then signaling for another. It was always a lot easier to talk to his target after his senses had been dulled a bit by the alcohol. Boyd smirked a bit. He might just had a shot at this.

"Sammy," Boyd said coming up along side of him. He ordered a drink and settled onto the barstool. "Think I've got a job for you in a few weeks. In the fact finding phase right now, but I hope within a month, two tops."

He watched as Sam ran his tongue across his teeth and then took a sip from the glass that had been refilled in front of him. "Not interested Body, I already told you that."

Boyd managed to reign in his temper but only just barely. Sam had never turned down an op until about a few months ago about the Bergman deal with a little sideways. Boyd knew that there had been close calls in the past, Sam had always escaped being hurt, that time was no different. At least that's what Boyd had thought at the time.

_He knew that something had changed drastically when Sam had stormed into his office with a rage he hadn't quite seen before. The report from the op in was thrown on his desk, but before he could respond, Sam had gone ballistic on him. He had yelled about how Boyd had been stupid enough to leave his partner in the building with an armed lunatic without going in. The signal had meant that the deal was still on, not that he should leave McNally in the build alone. Sam continued to rant about stupid it was to let her be apart of the op if Boyd wasn't going to be smart and back his team. There were other charges leveled at him, but the one that stuck was when Sam told him that he would have regretted being born if anything had happened to his partner._

That was the moment that Donovan Boyd knew that getting Sam Swarek back undercover was going to be difficult. He never realized just how much Sam held grudges until he refused an op that would have had him in and out in a month tops. Sam Swarek lived for Guns and Gangs and something changed.

"Aww c'mon Sammy," Boyd teased. "We both know you live for this. Nothing holding you back here. The uniform just constricts your talent."

Sam shook his head and shrugged. "Not this time Boyd. I live the place I'm at in my life."

Boyd took a sip from his beer and decided to go in for the kill. He knew something that he was sure Sam already knew, and now he was going to twist the knife in a bit. Hopefully Sam took the bait.

"I don't know how you deal with McNally all day," he said nonchalantly watching the man beside him tense a bit. "All she did was ask questions. A bit eager that one."

"She's not that bad once you know her," Sam stated clearly not interested in this line of conversation. "She's a good copper, likes to get the job done with minimum fallout. She only asks questions that will help her improve her performance."

Boyd shrugged and then continued. "Yeah, I figured. It will help her out though when she transfers. She gets it all out there in the open. Likes to know how everything works that one."

The way that Sam had stopped his arm midway to raising his glass to his mouth and turned to look at him with a disbelieving look, Boyd knew this was going to work out in his favor.

"Transfer?"

Boyd shrugged and took a sip of his drink before continuing. "I don't know man, something about how she just started this new thing with a guy from 15 and it was complicated. She thought transferring would easy the transition a bit and stop the fallout post Callaghan."

Sam looked at him incredulously before his eyes found their way over to the rookie table to look at Diaz who'd just opened his phone to check an message and started saying his goodbyes before walking out the door. Andy had never made it in that night and Diaz suddenly looked a lot less worried than he had throughout the night.

"That doesn't sound like McNally."

"I don't know Sammy. She seemed pretty worried people would judge her after the whole breakup thing with Callaghan. Wanted a clean break from everyone that watched that train wreck. Something about giving people time and space to get used to the new thing." Boyd used his fingers to air quote "thing" for extra emphasis. "Apparently she wants to make a real go of this relationship and transferring is how she thinks it will survive."

"Huh," Sam said clearing unsettled. "I wonder who the guy is?"

"I don't know," Boyd said with a smirk. "But he sure is a lucky bastard to get to come home to that, even if she is a magnet for trouble."

Sam continued to drink in silence for a few minutes. Boyd could see the anger building up in him that he knew something about the wonderful McNally that Sam didn't. It would eat Sam alive to think that Andy had confiding in Boyd before him.

"So tell me about this op you've got lined up?"

"You remember Jaime Brennan right?"

"He went straight, outta the game now." Sam shrugged already seeming bored. It was clear his mind was wondering back to his rookie.

"Yea, he is," Boyd continued knowing that he was about to hook him. "But we think we found a way to turn him into an informant."

"That's big," Sam said thinking about it. "That's really big."

"Huge."

"Whats the plan?"

"We've got someone in place right now, working a different angle," Boyd watched as Sam's attention was slowly being grabbed. "It's all about fact finding right now. Feeling it out. We go in after someone Brennan cares about, and with his tendencies of sniffing out a rat, this angle might work best."

"Hopefully your agent is smart enough to not raise Brennan's suspicions or you're going to be trying to identity an officer through DNA."

"I have it on the best authority that this agent is highly trained, and very highly recommended for field work. Rave reviews after a previous op."

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><p><em><strong>So... was it an epic fail that I need to fixpatch up in the next chapter?**_


	5. Chapter 5:First Day Blues

_**Thank you so much for your awesome reviews. I apologize a million times over for the grammatical errors. I had two versions on two different computers and uploaded the unedited one. I am appropriately ashamed and didn't know how to fix it once it had been posted without deleting and starting over again. Thank you for point it out!**_

_**Hope you enjoy the next part. I own nothing Rookie Blue, but it's fun to play.**_

_**Nikka**_

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><p>Andy took a deep breath as Boyd steered the car over to the curb. She knew the drill, he'd gone over it repeatedly in the fifteen minutes that made up their drive over. She was now Gabriella Scott, pre-school teacher. She loved all things finger paint, glitter, and snot noised.<p>

She stared ahead at the day care center where children and parents could be seen entering in the early morning. Andy was slightly nervous, she loved children, but this was different. She felt like she was taking advantage of the most innocent. Feeling the pictures in her hand, Andy looked down at them one last time. She was memorizing the faces of Maggie and Gracie Brennan. Closing her eyes she pictured their faces.

"McNally," Boyd's gruff voice broke into her concentration. "You're not going to hyperventilate or anything are you?"

She opened her eyes and glared at him. He smirked and reached across to pluck the pictures from her hand then smiled what she thought was a reassuring smile at her.

"McNally, Sammy believes in you enough to regularly trust his life with you. That may not mean much to you, but it speaks volumes to me," he paused wetting his lips and looking towards the school that was just up the block. "I know you haven't done any UC ops without him, but he trained you. You're vital to his mission going off without a hitch. Brennan is no joke, and he can smell a cop a mile away. Sam will be dead without good intel."

Andy merely blinked at him, completely unsure that she was in fact sitting inches away from Detective Donovan Boyd. She had never heard him say so much to her that wasn't laced with profanity or anger. She looked ahead again biting her lips. Andy knew with every fiber in her body just how crucial it was that she pulled this job off. Sam could be under before she finished this assignment and he'd never know that she was helping him. She might not get to say goodbye. _This is what he's wanted since you busted him Andy McNally. You owe him this._

Andy looked over at Body again almost ready to get out of the car, but needing to know something else first.

"Why me Boyd? You hate me."

He smirked at her and shrugged not denying her accusation. "Peck is less than maternal, Nash has a kid which creates complications with a UC." He looked at her again catching her eyes which startled them both a bit with how genuine his next words were. "Barber is always talking about how great you are with Nash's kid. Something about how you adjust to his level without caring about who's watching you. That's what we need here."

Andy felt a slight blush coming to her cheeks at Boyd's words. She and Jerry hadn't always been on good terms, in fact, they barely spoke most of the time, but somehow, he seemed to be one of her biggest champions of late. She was going to have to remember to thank him later.

"Take the bus to Court Street. Go in the coffee shop and text me. I'll come get you." He paused and smirked at him. "If anyone follows you, you're going to have to play nice and pretend I'm your boyfriend or something."

At her startled look he laughed, and reached over her to open her door and give it a push. "Get out McNally. And don't worry, I won't tell Sammy how you like to get cozy on UC ops, he might take offense."

Boyd laughed at her scowl and then pulled away from the curb. Andy took a breath and then headed towards the day care center. How hard could this be?

* * *

><p>Sam wandered his way into parade on Monday morning feeling somewhat heavier than normal. Usually, he felt great coming out of two days off, but today he just felt sluggish. It wasn't even 7am and the world was already conspiring against him. His only thought was that he hoped McNally wasn't in the mood to chat about everything under the sun. On second thought, his first priority was to talk Frank out of pairing him with anyone else other than her today.<p>

He took his seat at the back of the parade room and nursed his cup of coffee. Slowly, the other officers seemed to filter in. Oliver made jokes that had Sam silently glaring at him , which only egged the man to continue trying to rile Sam up. Jerry slid into the room but looked away when Sam met his eyes, suddenly very interested his cell phone. Sam simply raised his eyebrow and Oliver shrugged indicating that he had no idea what Jerry's mood had been about.

Best called attention to the front of the room before Sam could further ponder the strange behavior. As parade wore on, Sam was getting slightly more agitated that McNally hadn't made an appearance yet. She always let him know if she was going to be late or call in. He checked his phone and found no text from her telling him any such thing. He looked over the other rookies who seemed to be giving Diaz questioning looks. _Fabulous, now I'm going to actually have to talk him._

As parade ended, Sam realized that he was riding solo for the day and that Oliver had Diaz. Following Shaw out of the room, he had begun to ask Shaw to give him Diaz for the day figuring that he'd get to the bottom of what had McNally missing for the day. Sam looked at his friend in a dumbfounded manner when he blatantly refused stating something about it being in the rookie's best interest to stay with him if there was any hope of the rookie surviving the day. Sam scowled at him and decided that Best would probably have better answers for him anyway.

When Sam knocked on the door, Frank was on the phone but waived him in anyway. Taking a seat, Sam turned to look out onto the bullpen with a curious glare. Despite knowing that he wouldn't find her there, Sam couldn't help but hope he'd see McNally rushing in to make excuses for her habitual tardiness.

"Sorry about that Sam," Frank said hanging up the phone. "What can I do for you?"

"Just wondering if you knew why my partner is AWOL today?" Sam tried to be nonchalant about it, but he knew by the smirk on Frank's face that he found it humorous.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to ask," he paused and looked at Sam. "Boyd had her detailed to Guns and Gangs."

Sam clearly hadn't expected that and it showed on his face. His eyes narrowed a bit and he felt a slight pang in his gut. Something wasn't right. Boyd hated McNally, with a fiery passion. "For how long?"

Frank shrugged and looked out the windows of his office at the officers in the bullpen. "Didn't say. A few weeks. I'm not exactly impressed, but Superintendent Peck signed the order. She's stuck there until Boyd says he doesn't need her."

"Boyd hates McNally," Sam said simply.

Frank looked at him again and didn't know how to continue. "Apparently, Boyd thinks this is good experience for her, and she requested the detail. Something about her thinking a transfer was in her near future. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

Frank's words hit Sam like a ton of bricks. He personally hadn't put too much stock in Andy wanting a transfer when it had come from Boyd. That man had a tendency to hit where it hurt when he found a weakness, and clearly Andy McNally was a weakness to Sam Swarek. Hearing that transfer had been discussed with Frank while he himself was clearly being left in the dark made Sam slightly ill.

"No," he shook his head as his voice sounded a bit strangled. "She hasn't said anything about it to me." He paused again before adding. "I really had no idea."

Frank looked at Sam and seemed to be thinking something over. He leaned forward a bit and his mouth pulled into a tight line. "I don't like it Sam. It doesn't feel right."

Sam simply nodded before pulling himself up to numbly make his way out to patrol. _What the hell is going on?_

* * *

><p>By 4pm, Andy felt like she was ready to drop. She hadn't been around so many children ever in her life, and the hysterical part is the more she panicked, the more they all seemed to cling to her. Especially the blue eyed, curly haired Gracie. Andy might have had a major freakout or anxiety attack, if not for Gracie.<p>

This child was supposed to be one of her targets, but just as Gracie had been drawn to Andy, she had been drawn to Gracie. Throughout the day, the little toddler had waddled her way to Andy, attaching herself her leg or giggling at her exclamations of surprise. Andy couldn't help but fall in love with this child. She was absolutely precious.

As she was helping the children get into their coats as parents started to arrive, she failed to see Gracie make her way towards her mother who had entered the room just as Andy was struggled to put a wiggle worm named Jackson into his coat.

After saying goodbye to Jackson, and his father who seemed a bit to friendly, Andy let out a sigh of relief. The day was nearly over.

"I hear my little love bug has taken a shine to you," a woman's voice said behind her.

Andy jumped and turned around in a clumsy manner that clearly showed her shock at being addressed. She looked at the woman with blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Andy knew she was being assessed as a possibly threat. With a husband like Jamie Brennan, Maggie Brennan had probably learned to wary of the people in her life.

Gracie babbling had broken the eye contact between the two women as Andy smiled and then kneeled down. She tugged Gracie's hat a bit lower onto her head and smiled. "See you to tomorrow Gracie."

Gracie turned towards her mother with her hands reaching upward. Maggie Brennan responded with a smile for her daughter, but a critical eye still on Andy. Sensing the awkwardness, Andy decided it was time to speak.

"I'm sorry," she said putting on her best smile and extending her hand. "My name is Gabby Scott, I'm knew here. And you have a beautiful daughter."

Maggie Brennan tentatively smiled and extended her hand towards Andy for a shake. "Thank you," she pursed her lips a bit. "I'm sorry to be so blunt, but I dislike people I haven't spoken to being around my daughter. I met each of her pre-school teachers several times before she was placed here."

Andy felt her face fall a bit as she struggled to keep the panic off of her face. Had she been made already? Feeling slightly nervous, Andy didn't even feel herself shift her weight.

"Well," Maggie said dryly. "Gracie seems to have become attached to you, which is rare. Are you sneaking her candy or something?"

Andy looked at her dumbfounded for a minute and then stammered. "No- no! I'm sorry no I wouldn't do that!" She paused seeing Maggie's somewhat amused face. "I mean, Gracie is sweet enough already, no need to give her sweets"

Maggie Brennan laughed a bit and made goodbyes. Once they were out the door, Andy let out a breath and helped the other teacher clean up before grabbing her bag. She had a nagging feeling of being watched as she made her way down the block to the bus stop. _Maybe Boyd wasn't so paranoid after all. _

* * *

><p>Andy waited in the coffee shop nearly an hour before Boyd had arrived to pick her up. She nearly scowled at him as he made his way towards her. Something about the look on his face stopped her from showing any displeasure and she quickly found herself enveloped in a hug and felt his stubble on her cheek as he kissed her.<p>

"Someone followed you," he pulled back brushing the hair our of her eyes. "Time to put on a show McNally, hope your acting skills have improved."

Andy managed to smirk at him before she felt him pull her close and tuck her close to him. It felt extremely weird to have Boyd's arm wrapped around her with her arm snaked around his waist and other hand on his chest as they walked towards his car. She nearly gasped for air when Boyd actually opened her door for her with a smile.

They drove around for a while before Boyd pulled over somewhere in the fifteenth division's jurisdiction. They had lost their tail, but Boyd was still nervous. After she had briefed him about her day which had him smirking at the sheer amount of finger paint allowed in pre-school, he decided that they would head to the Penny.

When they walked in the door together, Andy suddenly felt an overwhelming weight on her chest. He left her without saying a word and headed towards the bar. He was back to scowling in her presence clearly having been fed up with having to have been nice to her for a better part of the evening.

Andy looked around and saw her friends looking at her. She made her way over to them and starting telling them about how boring pushing paper for Guns and Gangs was. She studiously avoided looking around for Sam. She knew that if she talked to him, and if he asked the right questions, she would cave in. Sam's safety came first for her. Andy refused to cave in and tell him about what she was doing. Boyd had told her under no uncertain terms that if she talked to Sam, he would make sure that Sam would never see another undercover op again. Andy refused to take something he loved away from him for her own peace of mind.

She had been fingering her bottle of beer when she felt Chris come to stand next to her. He had been late getting to the Penny as had Oliver. She looked up to see his worried face and remained silent. He held his hand out to her and tugged her up. When she was on her feet he tugged her into a tight hug.

"Ready to go home," he asked her clearly concerned about the look on her face. He squeezed her tighter against him and felt her nod into his shoulder as she whispered something that sounded like a yes.

"Come on then," Chris said reaching for her coat off the back of her chair and guided her out the door with little fanfare.

Across the bar, Sam had had trouble keeping his cool as Boyd saddled up to him. Boyd ordered a drink and made a comment about mentally exhausting working with McNally had been and asked Sam how he dealt with it.

Sam took a gulp of his beer and looked over at the other man. "Hey, if you don't like my partner, why'd you request her for detail. There are other rookies to do your grunt work you know."

Boyd looked over his shoulder to see Diaz walk in the door. He shrugged turning back to Sam. "What can I say, I'm a softie. She begged me to help her out. Wanted experience working somewhere else before she finalized some transfer. Besides, who wouldn't want that," he leered to Sam in an appreciative manner, "running around doing whatever you asked?"

Sam had never wanted to hit Boyd more than he did right now. Well scratch that, until he saw Diaz pull McNally into a hug over Boyd's shoulder, he had never wanted to the man more. Watching his partner leave with the other rookie without so much as a hello seriously pissed him off. Sam directed the brunt of his anger at Boyd who was helping McNally leave the 15 and him.

Sam shook his head. Maybe he really did need this UC op. With him gone, he wouldn't have to be around when McNally finalized her transfer request and he sure as hell wouldn't have to watch as the relationship was flaunted.

The trouble was, that Sam knew that something wasn't quite right about all of this, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hope you enjoyed it. Andy's first day on the UC was certainly a bit boring, but I promise it will get better :)<strong>_

_**Nikka**_


	6. Chapter 6: Accepting Offers

**I apologize for the delay in updating, down the last week of my first semester as a grad school student and it has been grueling. I had to finish this in order to get my policy report done, which is currently only on page 8 of 25, so until next Wednesday, this will have to be my last update. I am very very sorry! I didn't want to leave you hanging too long.**

**Thank you for all the reviews. I hope you continue to enjoy**

**Nikka**

* * *

><p>Two weeks without seeing her except for brief glimpses at the Penny when she came in to get Chris and the duo promptly headed home. Sam was trying to be objective about this situation. He knew that Boyd was probably putting her through the ringer at headquarters and that all she probably wanted to do after a day with him was curl up on the couch and watch a movie.<p>

Knowing her, it would probably be some sappy chick flick where the guy got the girl and she could get her fill of happily ever after. Sam tried to swallow the bitter pill that tasting oddly like jealousy as he realized that Diaz probably enjoyed watching all those girly movies with Andy and he probably made her smile trying his best to playfully imitate the Prince Charming of those movies.

Sam snickered a bit to himself. If he was going to feel truly sorry for himself, he might as well go ahead and admit that he would really love to be the man curled up on the couch with Andy indulging her girly whims and making her smile. God, did he love her smile.

Parade had been totally lost on Sam as he continued to ponder his partner's home life. He couldn't count the numerous times he'd prayed and tried to bully her into companionable silence. Now suddenly, two weeks of not hearing her upbeat voice had him feeling very alone. Worse than that, it had unnerved him how she just seemed to extricate herself from his life. Like it was suddenly just that easy to do. It was just simple and effortless for her to cut herself out of his life and not talk to him for weeks.

On his way out to the cruiser, riding solo again for the day, Sam resolved to take means into his own hands. Something wasn't settling right with this whole situation, and he would be damned if he would trust anything Boyd said to him about Andy of all people. Even if Best had said the same thing to him, Sam needed to hear the words from Andy's mouth to fully believe them.

Sam reached into his side pocket and retrieved his cell phone. He taped the wheel for a moment before deciding to send a message.

_What do you say I spring you for lunch? I'll even buy. Boyd can't deny food._

Before he could over think it, Sam hit send. After his phone told him it was sent, he checked to make sure the volume was all the way up, and that the vibrate was on so there was no way he'd miss her response. Shaking his head at how foolish he was being, and trying to chalk it up to concern and not something actually being amiss, Sam tucked the phone into his vest pocket to rest against his chest.

* * *

><p>Andy had spent the better part of her day helping toddlers finger paint. It honestly hadn't been as bad as she had anticipated at the beginning of this activity, but still, she was a bit leery every time a little chubby faced munchkin tottered towards her. Little paint splatters and hand prints decorated her jeans. Still, she managed to smile and giggle with the children finding more often then not that she didn't really mind at all.<p>

Secretly, Andy admitted that while she wasn't supposed to have favorites, while a teacher wasn't supposed to, she really had fallen in love with Gracie Brennan. The little blonde curly haired blue eyed cherub had clearly stolen her heart. Andy felt a bit guilty about how she was in place to get to close to this child to try and get information about her parents.

Andy had tried to temper her growing affection for the sweet little girl, but she was finding it difficult. Throughout the day, Andy had smiled as Gracie tugged on her pant leg, or snuggled into her side during story time. She had also enjoyed watching the child as she slept during nap time and couldn't help but smile when she sought Andy out first thing after waking up. It seemed this part of Boyd and the Superintendent's plan was working. There was no way that Gail would have been able to handle this time of assignment. Gail Peck barely tolerated anyone, and tolerating children was right up their on her list of things to love right along with getting her finger nails ripped out one by one.

The end of the day had come before Andy had anticipated and she was darting around the room getting kids ready to go. She felt little arms wrap around her leg as, startled, Andy looked down to see Gracie hugging her legs. Andy smiled and crouched down to look at Gracie.

The child smiled at her and began a serious of rambling about what they would be doing tomorrow . Andy laughed and was absorbed in Gracie's antics when a she felt a large presence come to stand behind her.

Andy pivoted a bit to look at the man over her shoulder and felt Gracie tense up and lean into her. She straitened up to look at the man who was beginning to unnerve her. Eyes wandered over him trying to take in any type of detail about this man who despite trying to put on a friendly face exuding waves of discomforting energy. Feeling Gracie press closer to her legs prompted Andy to speak.

"Can I help you Mr-" she looked up at him realizing just how bit of a man he was. He easily had Andy out weighed by fifty or more pounds and all of it was hardened muscle.

"Jimmy Rourke," he said casually extending his hand to her.

"Gabby Scott," she told him simply, accepting his hand.

There was something malicious in his eyes, something that made Andy want to squirm. She decided that it wouldn't be in her best interest not to do and simply shook his hand and resisted the urge to wipe away the grim from touching him when he released her hand.

"What can I do for your Mr Rourke," Andy ask him in a sweet unassuming voice. She only hope that her face didn't give away her suspicions. Feeling Gracie tighten her grip on her legs, Andy reached down to pat the head of the child that hand somehow worked her way behind Andy. Jimmy Rourke noticed Gracie and smiled. Andy decided right then and there that there was nothing pleasant about his smile.

"I work for the Brennans," he stated simply, but with authority. "I'm here to pick up Gracie."

Andy looked at him and felt herself bristle. She knew that Jimmy had seen her bristle as well and that this conversation was not going to go well. Her grip tightened a bit on Gracie as she shifted her further behind her.

"I'm sorry Mr. Rourke," she stated firmly meeting his eyes. "The Brennans have express written consent not to have Gracie released to anyone but them. I'm afraid that Gracie has to stay here until Mr. or Mrs. Brennan come to pick her up themselves."

Jimmy Rourke's face visibly darkened as he stepped forward crowding her space. Andy felt herself struggle to remain calm. He leaned in toward her tying to get his point across.

"My employers are not tolerant people Ms. Scott," he voice was low and controlled. This was definitely a threat. "I'd hate for them to speak your boss about making things more difficult than they have to be. I can't imagine the outcome would be very pleasant."

Andy narrowed her eyes at him and felt a bit braver. She could handle idle threats. Shrugging she merely looked at him, "As unfortunate as that would be, I still can't violate a signed agreement. I'm sure the Brennans would understand Mr. Rourke."

"Oh I completely agree Ms. Scott," a calm voice said from behind Rourke.

Both turned to look at the man who was standing in the door frame. He was of a lighter coloring that Jimmy Rourke but looked like he could be just as lethal. If she had to guess, Andy thought he was a little bit broader then Sam, but he was definitely well bit. Andy was slightly distracted as she felt Gracie loosen her grip on her before shouting "Daddy!" and running excitedly towards the man.

Jamie Brennan smiled at his daughter and bent down to scoop her up. IT would have been an entirely endearing scene if only Andy hadn't been briefed on just how Jamie Brennan used to get his kicks. This man was a conundrum. How could he be so gentle and loving with Gracie, but be one of the best enforcers that the mob had ever had?

As Andy stood there processing the interactions of the two men, it was clear that Rourke took Brennan's presence as an invitation to leave. Once the man was outside of the classroom and Brennan was assured that his daughter was comfortable in his arms, he looked to Andy.

"Thank you for following our wishes Ms. Scott," he said coolly, his face betraying no emotion. "Gracie should never be released to anyone but my wife of myself. Mr. Rourke will not be making another appearance. I apologize for him being difficult."

Andy stood there and nearly gapped at Jamie Brennan. His manners had apparently forced him to apologize and come as a complete surprise to Andy. She felt her mouth trying to work, but luckily she was saved by Gracie's babble.

"Miz Gabby fun!"

She watched as Jamie Brennan smiled at his daughter and couldn't help but do the same as he looked up at her. Adjusting Gracie in his arms, Jamie looked at her and surprised her with his offer, "Come on Miss Scott, looks like Gracie is the last one here. I'll give you a ride."

"That's okay," she responded hoping not to sound as shocked as she felt. "I'll let you get on home. I've got to meet someone after work but thank you."

Brennan ran his tongue over his front teeth in a manner she had often seen Sam do before he told her something she wasn't going to like. Usually some kind of observation that she had carefully side stepped in an attempt to avoid it. It seemed like Brennan might have more in common with the decent men in her life than she'd care to admit.

"Don't you mean you have to meet your boyfriend at the coffee shop down town on Court?"

Andy's eyes widened in shock. Boyd had been right, she was being followed. Thankfully, she had followed every part of his plan to the letter and it looks like it was paying off. Clearly, Brennan had been having her followed.

"You look surprised Ms. Scott," Brennan mused turning to head to the door. "My wife told me about a new teacher at Gracie's school. I don't like people I don't know around my daughter and the school didn't notify us of a new teacher. Come on now, I've already kept you long enough to miss your bus and the next one doesn't come for almost an hour."

Andy merely gapped at him and then grabbed her bag. She looked over at Amy, the other teacher in her room and smiled as she waved her on clearly unsurprised by Brennan's offer or interaction with her.

She met him at car, a rather safe, family looking sport utility vehicle. He had finished buckling Gracie into her car seat before turning to open the door for her. "After you Ms. Scott," he said closing the door after she hesitantly got in.

* * *

><p>Sam's day hadn't been going much better either. Andy had taken almost two hours to respond to his text and then had turned down his lunch offer. Apparently, Boyd was keeping her under lock and key at headquarters and had ordered in for the staff. She had even mentioned that he seemed to be helping her rather than make her life more difficult. He was stumped.<p>

His mood had not improved when she said she just wanted to relax at home tonight instead of meeting him out for a drink at the Penny. He would have scowled at her obvious attempts to avoid him if only he hadn't heard Diaz making plans to do something epic, his words not Sam's, with Dov this evening. Whatever it was these two rookies had up their sleeves, it had them bouncing with excitement for the end of their shifts. Sam was almost jealous, his plans for the night had been shot to hell.

On second thought, if Diaz was going to be occupied with rookie man boy, then Andy was going home alone. Maybe he would just stop by Diaz's house, as much as he loathed the idea, and force her to talk to them. He needed to to know what was going on in that head of hers and whether or not the transferring rumors were true. If they were, then Sam was going to accept Boyd's offer and go under.

Time and space would give him a chance to breathe without Andy McNally and hopefully, help him crush whatever feelings he had for her. At least, that's the line of crap he was feeding himself for the moment.

* * *

><p>Brennan had pulled up next to the coffee shop where she usually met Boyd. She saw him sitting by the window clearly looking annoyed and kept checking his watch. From the look on his face Brennan noticed Boyd too and pursed his lips. The ride over had been somewhat awkward but mundane as Gracie babbled and laughed about her day.<p>

As she reached for the handle of the door, Brennan's voice stopped her.

"I used to work for some very dangerous people Ms. Scott," he said looking at her, blue eyes boring into hers. "Maggie and I are extremely cautious about who is around out daughter and do our best to keep a low profile. I apologize for Mr. Rourke's behavior, and I can assure you that he won't be back. I trust you not to release Gracie to anyone other then my wife or myself?"

Andy simply nodded at his honestly and seemingly genuine sincerity. Now wasn't the time to ask any questions. Brennan's reputation preceded him. He could smell a cop a mile away, but he hadn't made her yet , she was pretty certain of that. She just wanted to be out of this car before she could screw anything up.

Andy broke the eye contact first and opened the door. She turned to thank him for the ride, but was cut off by his words. He seemed to be exuding wisdom today.

"That man isn't right for you Ms. Scott," he smiled at her confused face as she turned to look at Boyd in the window and then back at him. "He doesn't look at you like you are his world, just one more task to check off. It's not love, its companionship."

Against all odds Andy felt herself shrug. "It's enough for now. Sometimes it's all you get."

Jamie Brennan actually smiled at her through the car window, she heard the bell over the coffee shop door chime and Boyd call out her alter ego's name.

"You'll know what your missing some day when some crashes into your life and turns it all upside down."

With that he rolled up the window and pulled away from the curb. Careful to keep up appearances, Andy tucked herself into Boyd's side and told him what happened as they walked towards "their" apartment. Before they left each other, Boyd swapped phones with Andy, giving her back her personal cell and taking her cover phone. They weren't going to take any chances after Brennan's apparent interest. Boyd wanted to get her cover phone tapped.

* * *

><p>Sam pulled onto the street that Diaz's house was on and found a spot to park. Boyd had spent the last hour on the phone harassing him into agreeing to the UC going after Jamie Brennan. There was still no concrete evidence that the mob's biggest enforcer turned suburban dream house dad had returned to his old life, but Boyd was adamant.<p>

As if sensing the reason for Sam's delay in accepting his offer, Boyd seemed to throw the final jab in about his partner. Apparently, Andy's stint with Guns and Gangs was going to continue. She was showing some definite promise and Boyd was thinking that he may have been seriously mistaken in her skills. While Sam wanted to roll his eyes at Boyd, the possibility that Boyd would help her transfer if it was true ate away at him.

He walked up to the blue door of the house where his partner had found herself living post-broken engagement. Just as he was getting ready to knock, movement from inside the window. Not normally one to look in a window like a common peeping Tom, he felt guilty but couldn't peel his eyes away from the scene.

Andy had come into the living room and handed Diaz a beer before settling down on the couch next to him. They were laughing at something that Dov was saying as he talked animately with his hands. The way that Andy and Diaz kept looking from Dov and Sue to each other, they were sharing a private joke. Dov said something which had caused Andy to toss her head back in laughter and her hand found her face to Diaz's knee. For his part, the rule loving rookie, tried not to laugh and ducked his head to whisper something into Andy's ear.

Sam felt like he'd been punched in the gut at watching such an intimate scene. Rather than intrude, he found his way back to his car cursing his stupidity about what he was going to say to her tonight the whole way. He didn't think that he had misunderstood anything that had been going on lately.

Sam reached for his phone and hit a number he knew well. Boyd's gruff voice answered on the other end. He didn't bother with a greeting, he simply muttered, "I'm in."

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><p><strong>I promise it will get better... but we've got to establish a few things before the story can move forward! I promise... the UC will get better … and Sam finds out what has kept Andy from the 15th next chapter. Any guesses on how he's going to react ?<strong>

**Until next time! **

**Nikka**


	7. Chapter 7: Puzzle Pieces

_**I apologize for the delay, the paper got completed (27 pages of blah). One more final and the semester is over. Thanks for sticking in there with me. By the lack of reviews, I think the story is becoming a dud, but I will at least finish it for those who have been following along, though it may be quicker than intended!**_

_**Thank you again for your comments and ideas… I hope I am hitting on some of them in the story! Now I finally get to read all the fabulous updates of everyone else! I can't wait!**_

_**Nikka**_

_**O o O o O**_

Another two weeks had gone by and Andy couldn't help but feel herself begin to get even more attached to the children she was working with every day. As Andy wiped up the glitter that had somehow found its way into every imaginable crevice, she could help but think about what she would report to Boyd later.

Boyd had practically flipped when she told him about Brennan giving her a ride to their meeting spot and when she told him about Jimmy Rourke, she swore that he was going to have an apoplectic fit right there. Andy looked down at the bruise that was beginning to mellow against her tan skin. She wanted to be pissed off at Boyd for the way he had tightened his hand around her wrist, but she found that she couldn't be. Rourke's presence had clearly shaken Boyd up and if Andy didn't know any better, she'd think that Boyd was actually worried about her.

Andy was coming to think that tightening his hand painfully around her wrist was becoming Boyd's tell for when something was bothering him about this case. It was almost like he had to have some point of physical contact with her to feel like he got her attention when he felt like things were getting critical.

Two days after Rourke's impromptu visit and Jamie Brenna's moment of kindness, Boyd had gripped her wrist tightly, seeming to flex his grip, loosening and tightening as he spoke to her without really being aware that he was doing it. Apparently, there had been a few hits on Andy's cover ID, Gabby Scott. Boyd was anxious as he spoke quietly to her about the necessity to put a second cover ID in place.

"_Gabby Scott only goes a few layers deep," he said to her as he tucked her into his side. He'd begun to meet her at the bus stop instead of waiting for her inside after Brennan's appearance. "I had to put a new ID in place that goes deeper. Way deeper. You're going to have to explain why you've been using a fake name."_

_He stopped walking and looked down at her with concern written on his face. "Andy, by now, whoever is checking into you knows you're not really Gabby Scott, but I don't think you're made yet." Boyd quieted a bit and wet his lips as they continued walking, his hand still tight around her wrist, his grip tightening again. He didn't seem to notice her wince. _

"_You don't have to stay under McNally," Boyd's voice was pensive. "You've given us enough intel on the Brennan's for Sammy to be okay in his op."_

_Andy felt herself bristle as she tried to tug her arm free from his grip, momentarily forgetting that whether he meant it or not, he was hurting her and probably making that light bruise around her wrist deepen a bit._

"_I'm not letting Sam walk in there blind," she retorted looking up at him with an intensity in her eyes that startled Boyd. "I'm staying. The more information I can get the safer he will be." _

_Boyd pursed his lips and motioned for her to continue moving. "It's not going to be easy McNally. You've got to pull this off. You're going to be called out on this and Brennan is a dangerous man."_

_Andy felt a bit of worry about Brennan. His file had caused her no amount of worry, but she was still having trouble reconciling the man she met with the man who was talented at torture. She remembered Sam's words about the importance on intel heading into a UC and couldn't help but repeat them._

"_Information makes or breaks an op," her voice was measured, emotionless as she repeated Sam's words. "If you go in with subpar information, it doesn't matter how quickly you think on your feet, you're already made." She looked up at Boyd again and squeezed his hand back. "I won't be the reason that Sam gets made. I owe him."_

Andy was broken out of reverie by Gracie Brennan squealing loudly at her daddy came into the classroom to get her. The glitter mess temporarily forgotten, Andy couldn't help but feel nervous as she watched Jamie Brennan scoop up his daughter, brushing back her hair away from her face. The moment that Gracie wrapped her arms around her father's neck, Andy knew by the way that his eyes never left her face that Jamie Brennan was the one who had been checking into Gabby Scott's background.

A sliver of fear ran up her spine and she had to struggle not to throw up. Andy prayed that after two years, she had learned to mask her thoughts in an expressionless mask that she had often seen Sam wear when he was unsure of something. Deep down, Andy knew that she was terrified, and without Sam here, it was going to take everything in her to control her fear.

"Mr. Brennan," she said shyly, before sending a nervous smile to Gracie. "Let me get Gracie's things together for you.

"That's perfectly alright Ms. O'Farrell," Jamie Brenna said in a casual voice. "My wife can get Gracie's things, I'd like to speak to you for a moment. _Privately."_

Alarm bells were screeching in Andy's brain. As she felt her heart speed up, she tried to remember Boyd's exact words about her cover story. Jamie Brennan had just confirmed that he was the one doing the digging about her, but she couldn't figure out why.

Trying to remain calm, Andy took a deep breath and stared at Brennan, noting that somewhere behind her, his wife had started gathering Gracie's things. Andy didn't think Brennan would do anything in front of her family, but she couldn't exactly justify that gut feeling.

Andy watched as Brennan met her widened eyes and prayed that her face displayed the appropriate amount of confusion at the new name rolling off of his tongue. For his part, Brennan looked at her clearly assessing her and then rolled his over the front of his teeth and then looked over at his family before looking her in the eye again. She watched, holding a breath, as he stepped closer to her.

"I know that you're name is really Candace O'Farrell, but I don't know why you've decided to go by your mother's name, or what you're running from," he paused looking thoughtful. "But I do have a proposition for you. Of course, you'd have to be willing to answer my questions."

Andy's knee jerk reaction was to deny it. She bristled and had trouble masking the terror. Andy felt her eyes search out the nearest escape route, but noticing she was pretty much stuck, she gulped and met his eye before squaring his shoulders.

"We all have things from our past we're trying to escape Mr. Brennan," she said seriously. "Some things are of our own making, some things we're simply caught in the middle of."

To his credit, Jamie Brennan actually smiled at her. If she hadn't been so worried about whether or not he though she was a cop, Andy might have smirked back at him.

"Tomorrow, six o'clock Ms. O'Farrell. Meet me at the diner down on Elsworth. Don't worry, Maggie and Gracie will be with us."

"I, um-" Andy felt herself stammer and couldn't come up with a reasonable excuse at the moment. What the hell is going on? Noting the way his body language and raised eyebrow told her that he wouldn't take no for an answer, she agreed in a mumbled voice.

"Oh and Candace," he smiled noting her stiff posture at the use of her 'real' name. "That boyfriend of yours needs to lighten up a bit on that grip of his. Bruises are unbecoming on a woman."

Andy blushed and moved to hide the bruise on her left wrist. When she looked up to begin a denial that Boyd had caused it out of malice, Brennan was already ushering her

_O o O o O_

Sam's foul mood had not improved. He couldn't exactly remember the last time he'd been this continuously pissed off about everything and everyone. Wait, yes he could. _When McNally went to the fishing cabin with Callaghan. _

Sam huffed at himself and decided to find Oliver in an attempt to switch rookies for the day. Oliver had been hoarding Diaz and Sam had been stuck with Epstein for the last month. HE thought he was going to crack. _God do I miss McNally._

On his way past the interrogation room, he heard Chris Diaz raise his voice. Stopping for a moment, Sam almost felt guilty until he heard Traci's voice as well followed by Andy's name. Not usually one to snoop, Sam felt a bit apprehensive about what he was about to do as he checked to make sure that the hall way was clear before slipping into the observation room to try and see what the rookies were talking about.

Sam peered at the window that looked into the interrogation room and moved forward to press the button so that he could hear what the two rookies were saying. He watched feeling a ball of tension settle in the pit of his stomach and he noticed Diaz's agitate manner and Nash's disbelieving face.

"I don't know what it is lately," Chris said moving his hands around as he paced. "She's not sleeping, nearly jumps out of her skin and runs to her phone when it beeps or rings. I actually caught her sneaking out in the middle of the night, and then when she comes back, she checks every window and door to make sure it's locked."

"Look," Nash began in a troubled voice. It was evident that she was worried but trying to give the benefit of the doubt to the situation. "Boyd probably has her doing something ridiculous just to get back at her. Probably showed her some kind of files that have her all freaked out. Knowing Andy, she got absorbed into them and now she's paranoid."

"It's more than that," he said flatly, an angry undertone painting his voice. "She's so jumpy like she's expecting something to come at her. I can't take it," his voice nearly broke. "I can't take her being scared of something. She's the fearless one."

Sam could feel the knot in his stomach drop at the conversation. Looking up at the ceiling in a failed attempt to clear his head, Sam knew that her silence over the past few weeks should have cued him in on something being wrong. He should have been the first one to notice, but his attempts at contact had been futile and failed.

"She's got a bruise on her arm Traci," Chris' voice had gone hard and Sam's head slammed down as his eyes snapped on Diaz's face through the glass. Sam watched through narrowed eyes Diaz trying to absorb every detail that might tell him some more information.

"What are you talking about," Traci asked, not understanding what he was saying.

Sam watched Diaz take in a breath as he looked at the floor and then looked at Nash.

"She has this bruise on her wrist, and when I ask her about it, she says she wasn't watching where she was going and that Boyd yanked her arm to stop her from walking into traffic."

Nash blinked several times at him trying to figure it out. "It's possible," she said slowly. "You know Andy, she was probably trying to prove something to him and, who knows, maybe it was just like she said."

"Then why did it nearly go away, only to show up darker a few days ago," Chris deadpanned.

Sam had heard enough. It didn't make sense that Boyd would put his hands on her, but he couldn't rule it out. Clearly, the man Andy had been living with, _sleeping_ with, had noticed something was wrong and in true McNally fashion, she was spinning some kind of diluted web of deception to protect him from something. Sam had had it.

He threw the door open and began stomping down the hall way towards the precinct exit. Boyd and McNally both had some explaining to do.

O o O o O

It was nearly five when Sam entered the doors of the Guns and Gangs Unit, but he knew that Boyd would still be there. The man almost never left work at a normal hour. After a few quick acknowledgements to detectives he had worked with, Sam spotted one of Boyd's team members at his desk.

As Sam approached the man looked up at him with a smile. "Sammy, how are you man," he asked, standing up to shake Sam's hand.

"Good David," he said as his eyes traveled around the room looking for his partner.

"You looking for Boyd or that rookie of yours?"

Sam looked at David and shrugged. "Looking for my partner, we had a prior commitment that she missed and wasn't answering her phone. I came down to find out why she's blowing this meeting off."

David laughed at Sam and headed towards Boyd's desk. Pulling open the top he drawer he picked Andy's phone and waved it for Sam to see. "He took it from McNally, you know. Nothing personal goes with you out on a job. It's been going off quite a bit, but he just looks at the messages, debates what to say for a few minutes and says something that seems to get the person to trying to get a hold of her for a few hours. I really don't know how she takes him having the balls to answer her texts for her."

Sam looked at David for a moment not comprehending what he had just heard. When the phone was placed in his hands it all suddenly made sense. _Andy hadn't been the one blowing him off for weeks. It was Boyd._ Sam would bet his entire paycheck that Andy had never saw any of his messages.

The awkward silence that Sam had fallen into was broken by David clearing his throat. Looking up at the other man with a look that was both apologetic and asking him to repeat what he said, Sam slipped Andy's phone into his pocket.

"I was saying that your girl is good Sammy," David said motioning for Sam to follow him.

"Of course she is, I trained her the last two years," Sam said with a false bravado, trying to act like he knew what the hell was going on. David stopped abruptly turning to face Sam with a serious look.

"No Sam, you don't get it," David said quietly. "I've never seen anyone take to a role like she does except for you. She does it almost effortlessly, without thinking. Keeps it real, keeps it simple. When she trips herself up, it seems like it's a perfectly natural reaction for her character."

Noting the way Sam's eyes probed him for further explanation, David continued. "This case isn't a joke Sam. We both know Rourke and Brennan are major players and your girl has them eating out of her hands."

At the mention of Rourke and Brennan, Sam's face visibly darkened. The look in his eyes was murderous and David's easy manners were effected. The air practically crackled with tension.

"Come on Sam," David said uneasily. "She's debriefing with Boyd right now. Brennan has made her offer."

For the second time that day, Sam stepped into an observation room to see Andy and Boyd seated at the table on the other side of the glass. She looked relatively clam despite the agitation that that was evident in the way she fiddled with her hands. The blood rushing to his head left Sam feeling a bit light headed as he tried to focus on what Boyd and Andy were talking about.

"He knew that my cover ID was fake," Andy stated looking at Boyd. "He called me by my secondary cover and said that he knew I'd been hiding something."

"Did he say anything that indicated that he knew you were a cop," Boyd asked her.

Sam watched as Andy shook her head and continued to meet Boyd's gaze. "No, he said he'd answer my questions but only if I agreed to the meet –"

The rest of what Andy had been saying had been lost on Sam as he stormed out of the observation room and slammed the door to the interrogation room open and stomped through.

Andy and Boyd jumped and looked at the door.

"Sam!"

"No freaking way, Andy McNally," Sam said in an eerily calm voice. His murderous gaze pinned her to her spot. "No freaking way are you going anywhere near a meet that Jamie Brennan set up."

_**O o O o O**_

_**Dun dun dun.**_

_**Sam found out. Hopefully it wasn't too disappointing, he's going to get his say in next chapter!**_

_**Let me know what you think.**_


	8. Chapter 8:Rules of Sam

_**I hope the new year is finding everyone well! I apologize a million times over and I understand full heartedly if interest has been lost in this story! I got the Vista 2012 Virus just before Christmas and it's really messed up my lap top, and to boot, my workplace closes for 2 weeks for Christmas with my work computer locked in my office not allowing me to do updates. I just haven't found the app for creating word documents on my ipad yet. **_

_**Hopefully, this chapter helps rekindle some interest! I can't wait to read all the updates… Two and half weeks with no Rookie Blue fics made me a very sad girl and there's so much to catch up on from all the awesome authors!**_

_**Thanks,**_

_**Nikka.**_

_**Disclaimer: Don't own Rookie Blue, because if I did, it'd be on all year long!**_

_**O o O o O o O**_

Sam stormed out of the observation room and slammed the door to the interrogation room open, stomping through it to stare down its two occupants.

Andy and Boyd jumped and looked at the door.

"Sam!"

"No freaking way, Andy McNally," Sam said in an eerily calm voice. His murderous gaze pinned her to her spot. "No freaking way are you going anywhere near a meet that Jamie Brennan set up."

A tension filled silence seemed to drag on for hours as the waves of anger and anxiety poured off of Sam. His dark eyes remained fixed on Andy's, daring her to say something. All he needed was for her to protest just a little bit and whatever shreds of control he was able to maintain would be completely gone.

He watched as she met his eyes with her own widened stare of shock. Her face clearly belied that he had startled her with his words and intensity, but she sat up straight in her chair, not backing down. Still, she didn't even attempt to react in a manner she knew would piss him off, that of flat out denying his wishes which would have effectively sent him over the edge of reason where she was concerned.

Sam narrowed his eyes at her clearly annoyed that she was taking the mature route. He might have even snorted at her attempts to remain indifferent to his outburst. Of course, then he would have had to fail to be impressed at the fact that she was reading him like a book and forcing him to make a move to get her to react instead of letting her push him towards a reaction that would only make him incredibly look foolish in the end.

If that's how this was going to play out, _fine._ Sam crossed his arms over his chest and never once allowed his eyes to drop from hers, even when Boyd finally got the nerve to speak.

"Sammy," Boyd spoke up cautiously, not bothering to lift himself from his seat. "She signed on for this. She's doing great as much as it pains me to admit it. I mean," he began to stammer getting a bit excited. "It's Jamie _freaking-_Brennan!"

"No."

"You don't even know what Brennan wants from her but you say no," Boyd questioned, showing his irritation.

Sam finally broke eye contact with Andy who had been sitting watching him impassively, to look at Boyd. He rolled his head about in a circle as if trying to relive tension that had been building up before looking the other man in the eye.

"It doesn't matter," he said matter of factly. "She's not going anywhere near Jamie Brennan again."

Andy had been trying to appear unaffected by Sam's sudden appearance and his consequently harsh denial of her continuing with the plan to meet Jamie Brennan. She watched her partner and former training officer interact with Boyd in a sort of odd fascination. While she feigned indifference, Andy knew her lack of reaction was probably the only thing saving her and Boyd from Sam's temper and an outright attack. If Sam really pushed the issue, Andy knew that she would cave in and not show for the meeting. She also knew that despite his worry over her as partner and a friend, Sam would eventually feel guilty about her not completing a mission at his request.

"Sam," she said cautiously trying to remain calm and level headed. Andy didn't know why, but when she was around Sam she was never able to react rationally when it came to her emotions. Sure she felt completely safe with him around, but emotionally stable, that was different story and one that she wasn't willing to investigate right now. "It's already done. If I don't go to this meet now, then Brennan will definitely know that I'm a cop. He-"

"How do know he doesn't already know that," Sam cut her off as he looked worriedly at her.

Boyd looked about ready to interject when Andy sent him a glare that told him to keep his mouth shut.

"Because he doesn't," she answered simply. Looking him in the eye again, she smirked a bit. "Call it a gut feeling."

At his snort and subsequent cocky disbelieving look, Andy felt herself bristle with irritation. Partners always had each other's backs. That was the drill. That was rule number one in his book. Sometimes, Andy didn't understand why his first reaction was to keep her on the sidelines of situations when the stakes were so high. Despite knowing that is was wrong her to jump to that conclusion, the only one popping into her head was that he didn't trust her. That hurt her more than all the drama with Luke and the past few weeks. Andy needed his trust and support about as much as she needed air. That realization only spawned her anger.

"Are you saying you don't trust me," she asked much more calmly than she thought capable of while standing up.

Sam, to his credit, actually looked shocked and then ashamed at her words. For her to think that about why he behaving this way was a definite blow to him. Of course, he trusted her, with his life in fact, but this was different, the stakes were too high. Sam brought his hand up to rub the back of his head and looked at her, clearly at a loss. He only knew in that moment that he couldn't lose her.

"That's not it at all McNally," he said calmly. All of his anger dissipated while he looked at her. "This guy is no joke. I don't want anyone I know close to him." Sam started to get worked up as he spoke to her. "I don't want _you_ getting anywhere near him when you don't know what he wants. This guy can spot a cop a mile away before you even open your mouth."

Andy watched as he started getting more worked up. Sam's chest heaved. She was slightly confused by his reactions and by how his body was responding. This was not normal Sam-like behavior.

"I've already agreed to this," Andy flicked her eyes to Boyd almost willing him to stay silent. "Brennan likes me. He's been chatting me up for a while now. I see him almost every day. This Rourke guy approached me and ever since, I've seen Brennan every day."

Andy watched Sam's face darken as she spoke, but she wasn't going to give up just yet. Boyd started to move to get up and most likely, to interject, when Andy fixed a harsh look at him that had him sitting down into his seat again with a resigned sigh and his hands up in surrender. She almost smirked at Boyd's unthinking obedience. Then her gaze flicked back to Sam and she was conflicted, angry, hurt, but sure of her next move.

"Sam," her voice was calm, and there was something to her tone that spoke volumes to the fact that she wasn't going to be talked out of this. "I'm going, it's done."

Sam watched her tell him that she was going and then felt everything slow down around him as the thudding of his heart suddenly seemed to stop and the blood rushed to his head like a freight train was barreling through. Looking at the determined set to her chin, and the way her eyes sought his, Sam knew that this was the moment that she was going to ask him to face his fears and back her up on this. She needed him as much as he needed her to be safe from harm's way.

"The thing is," she spoke casually, much more than Sam would like her to. "I need your help to get the jitters out. You help me get settled in and comfortable. You know this guy, you know me. You need to be the one in my ear listening in. You'll know if it starts to go bad."

Sam rolled his head around on his shoulders in an attempt to get some of the stress out of his body. He was pretty sure that he was going to strangle her for her audacity in her approach. It was ballsy, but dead on. There was no way he could say no.

He looked back at her, his face blank, his eyes boring into hers. Sam crossed his arms over his chest and leveled her with the firmest TO stare at her.

"We do this some rules in place," he stopped when her mouth opened to protest. The look he sent her effectively silenced her for the moment. He stood with his arms still over his chest, eyes locked with hers as he continued.

"One, you two tell me everything that you've been doing since you've been detailed to GnG," he motioned between Andy and Boyd. "Everything. Not a single detail will be left out."

Andy bristled a bit knowing he'd either laugh at her or be annoyed with her UC as a pre-school teacher. She looked to Boyd who nodded at her and then promptly looked back at same.

"Agreed."

"Two," Sam paused for a dramatic effect. "I'm apart of anything that happens on this case from here on out. Zero exceptions."

"Agreed," Boyd spoke for the both of them as he stood. He saw Sam's posture stiffen at the sound of his voice, but he decided to let it go for the moment.

"Three," Sam stepped forward until he was right in front of Andy, and reached out for her left wrist and held it up. "You have to tell me why McNally has a bruise for decoration on her wrist."

Andy tried to pull her wrist out of Sam's deceivingly gentle, yet firm grip before she looked over to Boyd. Catching her startled look, Boyd immediately felt guilty and was already trying to deny it being intentional. Sure Boyd had his issues with Andy, but he wasn't a total ass that had wanted to hurt her. Holding her wrist as tightly as he did on the way to her cover apartment had simply been a way for him to remind himself that she was come out of another day alive with her cover intact.

Boyd knew how dangerous these players were. He worried about McNally going in. Sure she took to the role quickly and it was like second nature to her, but she was also green. Brennan's habit of cornering her for conversation had had him worried to say the least.

"Sam," Andy's voice warned. "It was an accident."

He snorted and then got angry. Boyd took a step towards them and stopped in his tracks. He'd seen Sam worked up before, but the look in his eyes right now would have stopped a perfect stranger.

"I was worried Sammy," Boyd attempted lamely. "She met me every day, we were a couple for the sake of her cover."

Hearing Boyd's lame excuse had Sam seeing red. Andy looked nonchalantly at Boyd and was trying to keep as still as possible. The Swarek temper was legendary and she was not trying to invoke that wrath today. Well, more than she already had. She watched in a detached sense of fascination and nearly had to shake herself to stop this from getting worse as Sam stepped towards Boyd.

"That meant she got bruises" Sam's flat voice questioned.

"Sam!"

"No," Boyd shook his head. He was trying to portray cockiness, but Sam's temper wasn't something he never enjoyed facing. "It's not what you think."

Sam's head whipped away from Andy and towards Boyd. The steely glare that he leveled on Boyd would have made most men feel intimidated, but Boyd was slightly amused despite knowing that it could be very bad for his health.

"What I think," Sam spoke low, a dangerous quality his voice. "Is that you have a problem keeping your hands to yourself and off my partner."

"Hey Andy-" David walked into the room. His smile quickly slid off of his face as he took in the tense atmosphere of the interview room.

"Yea," Andy asked trying and failing horribly for an unaffected manner.

"Um," Dave's eyes settled on her. "Chris just called and wanted to know if you were going to make it home for dinner tonight. Something about a cook off challenge throw down."

Involuntarily, Andy's lips turned up on the sides into a little smirk until she caught herself. She and Chris had established weekly cook offs in an attempt to find something that had amused them. Without Dov around so much, there were only so many distractions to participate in. She felt Sam's anger magnify and radiate off his body at her reaction to David's words. Andy wasn't quite sure why he was so angry, but she knew enough to give him some time and space and then he'd calm down and talk her.

Clearing her throat, Andy fidgeted nervously and then looked to Boyd. "I should go call him and tell him I won't be home until later. He worries worse than an old lady lately."

She knew that it was the cowardly thing to do, but at Boyd's nod she scurried from the room with David hell bent to get a few minutes reprieve from the tempers of the two men in the room. She felt like she was in a tug of war that she couldn't win and didn't even want to play.

Andy knew that once she re-entered that interview room that she'd be at Sam's mercy and being that that man didn't miss too much, Andy knew that she was probably in for a very long night as she detailed every single minute of her UC.

_**O o O o O**_

_**Okay, hopefully this was worth the wait. I am already working on the next chapter and hope to have it up this weekend. It's a slower chapter and I'm not completely happy with it, but I think it was necessary.**_


	9. Chapter 9:The Offer

_**Writers block has been absolutely horrendous. I must have written this chapter 3 or 4 times before I decided it got the story moving to where it needed to. I love Jamie Brennan and am getting excited for more interactions with him! I hope you all enjoy as well!**_

_**And thank you for the firm words of encouragement to get back to it!**_

_**Enough of my ramblings, on to the next part!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue….. sighs… or any of the characters… they are actually all of the shows as well in this chapter.**_

_**O o O o O o O o O**_

Andy fidgeted nervously at the table waiting for Sam to ask his next question and Boyd to make his next arrogant comment. Knowing that Sam would be confined to the surveillance van provided a small amount of balm to her nerves. He had been relentless when she returned to the interview room. Sam had continued to pepper her with questions until well after midnight. With Sam's tenacity, the interrogation might have gone on all night except that Boyd had bluntly called it quits as Andy had to be bright eyed and bushy tailed to deal with toddlers as he had put it. Sam had been anything but happy, but he had complied saying that he felt better if she got some rest before she was supposed to meet Brennan.

"Come on," Sam's said tiredly handing Andy her jacket. "I'll give you a ride home."

Andy stifled a yawn as she ignored Boyd's glare. "Yeah, thanks Sam," she yawned again. "Chris is going to be a nutcase with me getting home so late.

Andy immediately noticed Sam's face shut down and become impassive as his posture stiffened. Regret immediately flooded Andy as she realized just how that sounded. She did feel bad about bringing Chris up so much, but he had become such an integral part of her life since her break up with Luke. One really couldn't talk about Andy without including Chris or vice versa. Chris was the cloud over Sam and Andy's friendship, the only problem was that Andy wasn't completely sure of the reason. At least, she wasn't willing to admit the reason.

The ride had been mostly silent with both of them lost in their own thoughts. Sam was contemplating how get Andy to talk to him while trying to temper his own anger at once again being left behind for someone else who wasn't going to make it the long haul. Andy was struggling with Sam's anger and her own insecurities about the op. Neither knew how to resolve the tension and hesitation that had taken over their friendship.

When Sam parked the truck on the curb outside of Chris's apartment, Andy was still lost in her thoughts. He looked over at her and cleared his throat before he spoke.

"I wish you had come to me when he put you under," Sam's voice was quiet, almost small. He waited for her to look at him before he continued. "I could have helped you, not that it seems you needed it, but it's still my job to prepare you. To make sure you go in as prepared as you can be. No doubts."

Andy merely looked at Sam and then felt her nonchalant face slip a bit. She looked down, not feeling quite up to meet his eyes.

"You're not my TO any more Sam," she said not unfeelingly. "I want to be the kind of cop you can be proud to serve with, not the rookie always needing your guidance."

Sam sucked in a breath, but refused to take his eyes off of her. There was a seriousness about him that striped away all discomfort and tension.

"I already am proud of the cop you are McNally," Sam's voice was fervent, his eyes fixed on hers, willing her to believe him. "I have complete faith in you, but I'm still your partner, I still want to be there to have your back. We're a team."

"Sam-" Andy's voice faltered as she looked at him. She looked away to regain her composure and then back at him. "I couldn't come to you this time. Too much was at stake." Andy felt herself getting emotional as she begin to stammer, " I – I couldn't do that you again. I just couldn't be-"

"You couldn't do what," Sam asked clearly not having a clue where this conversation was going. "What was at stake here? Why couldn't you come to me? You can always come to me."

Andy felt Sam's agitation and worry acutely. As he hurriedly rambled off his questions and finished with a sincere reassurance, Andy felt the guilt again. She didn't know if she could _not_ tell Sam at this point. Just as she was about to speak, some rapped on the window of Sam's truck three times nearly causing Andy to jump out of her skin as she spun towards the noise.

She saw Chris's worried face peering in the window before reaching for the button that rolled the window down.

"Chris what are you doing?"

He looked in at Sam and nodded before resting his eyes on Andy. "I was worried. It's the middle of the night Andy and you stopped answering my calls and texts like four hours ago. Is everything okay?"

Andy looked from Chris towards Sam and then back again. "Yea Chris, everything is fine. We just had a lot to go over tonight. Sam is on the case now so he said he'd take me home, so I didn't break our deal about no cabs alone at night."

Sam watched the exchange between the rookies with a detached sense of unease. There was clearly affection between the two of them and a closer relationship than just friends, but Sam was unwilling to ask just how close that relationship was. At the moment, he was acutely aware of how uncomfortable being the third wheel in this relationship was. It was also semi-new to him where Andy was concerned. Even with Luke, Sam never felt like he was the outsider with her, until now with Diaz.

Noticing that he missed part of the exchange between the rookies, Sam tried to shake himself from his thoughts and pay attention to what was going on. Andy reached for her bag and sent a small smile his way as she thanked him for the ride. Sam tried to cringed as he watched Diaz take Andy's bag from her as she slid out of the truck and shut the door.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow McNally," Sam said looking at her through the open window of the truck. He allowed himself to smile at the little upturn of her lips as her face warmed up as she looked at him.

"It's earlier than usual Sam," she said as her smile got bigger. "Like way earlier, an hour earlier than I'd have to be at parade."

Sam's dimples made an appearance as he smirked at her and quirked an eyebrow. She knew that it was him calling her out for audacity to doubt that he would actually be late.

"See you in the morning McNally. Diaz," he nodded, putting the truck in gear as Chris put his arm around Andy in and herded her towards the house.

_O o O o O o O o O_

Andy had actually awoken before her alarm that morning. In fact, she had barely slept the entire night, or at least the few hours that made up the rest of her night after Sam had dropped her off. Whenever Andy had to be up early or had something important to do, she could never sleep the night before, always waking every few hours, or having too much adrenaline in her system to ever fall asleep to begin with. Last night had been no exception.

Andy snuck quietly through the house trying to avoid the floor boards that squeaked as she made her way towards the kitchen. She was surprised to already smell the aroma of coffee brewing because she knew for a fact that Chris was still out cold snoring softly in his bed. Andy smiled at the note taped to the coffee pot.

_Enjoy the coffee. Take one for Sam too, it's God-awfully early._

_It's going to rain. Yo_ur umbrella is by the door.

~_ Chris_

Andy ran her fingers over the note smiling again and poured two coffees into the travel mugs that Chris had left beside the coffee pot. After fixing Sam's coffee, she turned to make hers and then headed towards the door. Despite knowing that Chris had left her umbrella by the door, Andy still smiled as she picked it and her bag up and headed out the door. Making sure the door locked behind her, Andy was just about to sit on the steps when she looked up and saw Sam's truck already parked at the curb.

Sam was already out of the truck and heading up the small sidewalk eyeing Dale's (Chris's neighbor) yard with a disapproving look on his face. Dale was avid partier and not much of a landscaper and it definitely showed in the little unruly and slightly littered yard that he had. Andy had to restrain herself daily not to go and clean it up for him.

Sam took her bag from her with a quiet good morning. Andy knew that he was resisting the urge to tease her about her preppy attire. She felt her mood sour a bit at Sam's amusement.

"I'm supposed to be a pre-school teacher you know," she sniped at him as he settled into his seat and put the truck into gear. Andy felt irrational annoyance swell in her breast as he looked her up and down and then smirked again.

"Did you pack your lunch in a brown paper bag too," Sam asked. By now his dimples were on full display as he clearly found his teasing amusing this morning. Sam knew that Andy was grumpy this morning, and goading her when she was grumpy was a thrilling combination of danger and amusement.

"Do you want the coffee I made you," she asked moodily. For extra emphasis

"Aww, McNally you shouldn't have," he continued to tease clearly finding his antics amusing.

"I didn't," Andy retorted. "Chris did. I just put it in the cup and brought it to you like he told me to."

Andy knew it was childish, but she was feeling slightly better when Sam grumped at her and thanked her and Chris by extension. Maybe he is right about something, she thought to herself as she sipped her coffee with a smile. Getting under your partner's skin _is_ actually amusing.

Sam had navigated his way across the city to the alley behind he cover apartment and parked the car. He watched Andy set her cup in the holder and ready herself to get out. Looking at her, he decided to just get what he was thinking out there.

"Look McNally," he said looking at her earnestly. "We've got to finish that conversation that Diaz interrupted, but first," he paused looking at her. "You've got to get this job done. Get through your day, get to that diner. Listen to Brennan, reveal little, and-"

"Trust my gut," she cut him off looking at him.

Andy wasn't sure how long they looked at each other before she decided to speak again. "I'm glad you're going to be listening in. It gives me a little more courage."

Sam smiled a bit at her before turning serious again. "Don't be too courageous. I'd like my partner back in one piece. _Soon_," he added quietly as handed her bag to her. Seeing her nod, Sam nodded and told her to enjoy her day finger painting and thought better than to add another teasing comment. He watched her go into the apartment building where she'd meet Boyd with a mixed emotion.

_Later, _was his only thought.

_O o O o O o O_

The day had gone by agonizingly slow for Andy. Every shriek or loud noise had her on edge and she couldn't count the number of times she had glanced at the clock or out the window nervously. When Maggie Brennan showed up to pick Gracie up, Andy's anxiety seemed to magnify.

Maggie Brennan was as friendly and cheery as ever as she chatted away about meeting Andy or Gabby or Candace, whoever she was supposed to be, for dinner that evening. She even went so far as to offer Andy a ride to the diner. After Andy's refusal, she did have to work another hour and half until five, Maggie Brennan gave up and said goodbye with a promise to see her later.

Andy decided it was best to simply take a cab to the meet with the Brennan's to save time and her anxiety from feeling watched on the bus. She got out a block before the little diner and smiled when she saw the vans on parked along the street. The diner was located in a business district which meant lots of vans for different companies were parked all over. The surveillance van was lost amongst them, even to her.

A wave of calm washed over her as she felt like she was being watched. Andy slipped her ear piece in her ear under the guise of fixing her earing and continued down the block. She had noticed someone following her and needed to get a message to the team.

Pausing to check out the sign on a consignment shop a couple doors down, Andy paused to see if she could get a glimpse of the man as she reached for her cover phone flipping the switch to turn the microphone on.

"I see him McNally," Sam's calm voice said in her ear. "One of Brennan's security guys. You're clear to go in. They aren't there yet, probably waiting for you."

Andy turned and proceeded to the diner and settled at a table that could easily accommodate a high chair and three adults.

"Ms. O'Farrell," Jaime Brennan spoke nearly making her jump. He was pulling a chair out for Maggie and holding Gracie in his arms. "I'm glad you made it."

"Curiosity Mr. Brennan," Andy said trying to get her heart rate under control. "One of my many faults I've been told."

To her surprise, Jamie Brennan actually laughed at her with a good natured smile that belied a sense of humor that Andy might have admired at another time. She was having a hard time reconciling this seemingly very good natured man with the brutal torturer and murder that was in the files that Boyd and she had gone over. While Andy didn't put it past Boyd to elaborate the severity of someone's crimes, or even outright lie to her, Sam's caution and worry over her coming into contact with Brennan gave Andy pause.

After ordering, Brennan sat looking at Andy for a moment. He was sizing her up, deciding how to begin she thought to herself.

"Do you know what the name Brennan means Ms. O'Farrell?"

Andy felt herself blink rapidly trying to understand the nature of his question. She watched Brennan search her face for a flicker of recognition, but finding none he continued simply. "It means sorrow. Now that was what my life was like befor my wife and daughter came into my life, but now not so much. I was lost, incomplete. But I don't forget the sorrow that was my life."

Andy looked up at him expectantly. She was oddly mesmorized by this man and his seemingly effortless ability to both terrify her put her at ease. He excluded danger and power, yet there was this underlying feeling of living by a code. She almost allowed herself to snort as she thought of Sam and how similar these men could be.

"O'Farrell means the descendent of the man of valor," Brennan spoke again meeting her eyes as he took a sip of his coffee. "It seems to fit you," he paused, looking thoughtful, "Knowing how fitting your last name is, why would you want to change it Candace?"

Andy looked down at the table, she fiddled with the wrapper on her straw a bit and then looked back up at Brennan. _Keep it simple and as close to the truth as possible. _

"I lost my mom at fourteen," she said in a low voice and then shrugged. "My dad couldn't take it, started abusing the bottle. He tried to be a good dad, but eventually he just couldn't make himself notice me." Andy fidgeted a bit more in her seat. She hated saying this about her dad. Even if she felt this way as a teenager, she didn't feel that way now.

"I guess, I looked too much like her and he couldn't take it. He just kept drinking more. Eventually, I got tired of trying to get his attention so I started acting out. Fell into the wrong crowd, got mixed up with a bad boyfriend. He wouldn't let me escape, so I ran. He found me the first few times, so I had to try to get a little farther away. Toronto is a long way from Wisconsin and he never knew my mother, so I guess, it made sense that I took a name that meant something to me. I started over. I survived."

"Good girl McNally," Sam said. His voice was full of wonder and pride at her story.

"What about your father," Maggie Brennan asked.

"He's in a program, but doesn't want to deal with the guilt of seeing me. No siblings, so I'm on my own."

"And so you became Gabriella Scott," Brennan interjected. "A name laced with meaning and emotions."

"Not to be rude Mr. Brennan, Mrs. Brennan," Andy began. "But what do the meanings of names or why I decided to change mine have to do with why you asked me here?"

Brennan looked at her with a continued look of amusement on his face before he turned serious. "I told you before Candace that I worked for some very dangerous people." He waited and watched as Andy nodded and looked over at his wife before settling her eyes on him again.

"Mr. Rourke works for my former employer, and unfortunately violated an agreement that was made to stay away from my family by approaching you. I'm worried he may try to coerce you into giving him information that could endanger my family."

"Be calm Andy," Sam's voice chanted lowly in her ear. "Be clam."

"Mr. Brennan, I-" Andy stammered, feeling anxious. "I would never divulge information about your family. I only know that you have a sweet little girl," Andy looked down and smiled at Gracie before continuing with conviction, "and that you and your wife enjoy your privacy. What incentive would I have for giving out information about your family, better yet, what could I actually know? I'm just a pre-school teacher."

Brennan was quiet for a second and then leaned back in his chair meeting her eye. "You're an honest one Candace, I like that. More importantly, Gracie and Maggie like you. That's why it would trouble me and Maggie if my former employers were to use less than friendly tactics in an attempt to get information from you."

Andy leaned back in her chair stunned for a bit. She wasn't sure if should feel threatened or relieved at Brennan's words. She was saved from too much over thinking by Maggie Brennan.

"Candace, Maggie adores you," she stated smiling warmly at her daughter. "We know you don't make that much at your job or that there is any to guarantee that my husband's former employer will go away."

Andy felt herself nod, before getting the courage to ask a question. "So, what you're saying is that I should quit my job and get out of Toronto?"

"Exactly Candace," Brennan spoke casually.

"I can't do that Mr. Brennan," she replied somewhat indignantly. "I have a job, bills, a life."

"I didn't mean that you should go far Candace," he replied easily. Andy wasn't sure what to make of his clam demeanor or his wife's cheeriness.

"We'd like to offer you a job Candace," he leaned forward allowing his elbows to rest on the table. "It seems that if my former employer cannot respect our wish to stay away from my family, that keep Gracie at home is best until she needs to go to school."

"I don't understand Mr. Brennan," Andy replied a bit more cautiously than she would have liked.

"We'd like to offer you a position as Gracie's nanny. It'd be a bump in pay," he spoke to her as his demeanor got a bit more seriously. "You'd come to live with us in our house. We live in a gated community just outside of the city."

Andy looked at him and then at Maggie Brennan in stunned silence. Whatever she had thought her meeting would turn out to be today, this was not it. If Sam had tried to say something to her at that moment, Andy was pretty sure that she never would have heard him.

"I- I, um, I need some time to think about this," Andy stammered.

"Of course Candace," he replied smiling at his wife. "We wouldn't expect anything less. Just don't think too much. You look like an over thinker. That will take you to some mighty unpleasant places."

Andy didn't know how, but she made it through the dinner with the Brennan's despite her inner turmoil. Leaving the restaurant, Andy passed what she was sure was the surveillance van as she switched off her microphone and dug out her ear piece. She was pretty sure that she had just gotten herself a deep cover assignment.

Sam was going to go berserk on her.

_O o O o O o O o O_

_**Thanks for sticking with me. Just when you probably thought this UC was going to be mundane There is a master plan!**_


	10. Chapter 10: Questions, Not Answers

_**There are no excuses for my tardiness in updating. I really do apologize. My mind has truly been elsewhere the past few weeks. My cousin's almost 3 year old was rushed for emergency open heart surgery after her heart rate didn't return to normal after playing with her cousins. She's doing fabulously well after the scare and even managed to come home after almost a week stay in the hospital. Children are truly amazing sometimes. Not an excuse, well maybe it kind of is, but I think this is the longest chapter yet, and is my futile attempt to make it up to you. **_

_**Thank you for all of your kind works, encouragements and ponderings about where this story is going. I have actually readjusted based on what you've said and I get a kick out you yelling at me about "tricking" you or "blowing your mind." You guys rock.**_

_**Thanks,**_

_**Nikka**_

_**Disclaimer: Don't own Rookie Blue or it'd be on nearly year round!**_

_**O o O o O o O**_

Andy made her way through the door of the cover apartment that she was meant to share with Boyd and nervously shut the door behind her. Involuntarily, she leaned up against the door and took a deep breath in an attempt to steady herself. It had started to rain on her way back to the apartment, but Andy decided that she had needed the walk and the coldness of the rain. Her clothes were soaked through and her hair was plastered against her skin. Despite it all, she barely felt the chill.

Jamie Brennan had just made her a deal that would set GnG up for one of its biggest takedowns. The only problem was that it involved Andy McNally moving into the snake's den.

Logically, Andy knew that there was no way that she could turn down Brennan's offer. She knew that Boyd would back her on this. Time was precious and fleeting and Andy knew that she'd need to compose herself and plan her arguments if she hoped to gain Sam's approval.

Andy could help but snort at that thought. There was no way in hell that Sam was going to approve of her moving in with Jamie Brennan and his family. He countered that there was no way for surveillance to monitor Andy's living quarters or make contact with her. It was likely that slipping away would be difficult if not impossible for her to manage. If Brennan suspected anything, Andy would be completely at his mercy and there wouldn't be a damn thing Boyd and the GnG squad would be able to do.

Those were just the easiest arguments that Andy could come up with. Sam was anything but easy. His temper would be well stoked by the time he got to her tonight and when he was that worked up, his brand of honestly tended to border on terrifying. Taking in a deep breath, Andy looked up at the ceiling and wondered how she was going to hold up against Sam's temper. She prayed that Boyd would back her up on this. After all, if this went accordingly, then the UC Boyd had planned for Sam would work out perfectly. They would have someone watching Brennan from two fronts instead of one.

A loud pounding on the door jolted Andy out of thoughts and she was barely able to contain a shriek as she jumped away from the door as if it burned. She watched as the handle was jostled a few times before the banging began again. Andy took a few steps backward when she heard keys being put into the lock. When the door swung open, Andy wasn't quite as ready for the intensity that followed as she thought she'd be.

Sam practically burst through the apartment door before Boyd could even remove the key from the lock. His eyes were focused on hers and his face clearly belied his agitation and worry. It might be possible that Andy had underestimated the strength of his emotions. Sam came to a sudden stop three or so paces from her and simply stared at her. His brow was quirked daring her to say something, but his silence was unnerving. Andy remained silent knowing that the slightest noise or movement from her would set him off when he was like this.

That was when God damned Donovan Boyd had to open his mouth and kick over the pot of boiling oil.

"I've got to say McNally," Boyd smirked clearly finding this situation amusing. "The bambi approach really works for you. Brennan has taken to you like nothing I've ever seen. If he hadn't gone all saint-like for his wife, I'd say it's you he's after and not your, uh- , services with children."

Andy's eyes shot over to Boyd willing him to shut up. She felt the heat of Sam's stare. His eyes had never left her and willed her to look back at him. When she did look at him, she swallowed hard feeling incredibly nervous and uncomfortable. Boyd's excitement prevented him recognizing that getting giddy over Brennan's offer probably wasn't in the best interest of his health at the moment.

"I mean who would have thought that Jamie-_freaking_-Brennan would have a soft spot for a pretty face," Boyd was pacing back and forth with wild hand gestures that accentuated his excitement. "It's gonna take a few days to prep you, but I'm thinking you could be ready to go under as early as this weekend or early next week. Two weeks tops to give notice to the pre-school and keep things looking kosher-"

"She's not going," Sam's quiet voice cut Boyd off. Boyd stopped his pacing to look at Sam with disbelief written all over his face. He looked like an excited child who'd just been told something unbelievable with mouth hanging open. Andy remained still eyes locked on Sam knowing what was coming with his calm voice and penetrating stare.

"What? Of course she's going Sammy," Boyd practically exploded.

The oxygen seemed to seep from the room like a vacuum had sucked it out at Boyd's exclamation. That was the only warning that Sam's temper had risen to a whole new level. When he spoke again, the eerie calm to his voice made Andy's heart start to race.

"No," Sam spoke quietly. "She's not."

"Sammy-" Boyd whined trying to make him see some sense.

"Get out," Sam growled, still meeting Andy's eyes with a fervent gaze. When Boyd looked like he was about to protest, Sam spun on his heal and opened the door behind him. "Out. Now."

Boyd stopped to look at Sam in an attempt to size him up. Whatever it was that Boyd read off of Sam, he knew that fighting him was a losing back. One thing that Donovan Boyd knew was to pick his battles with Sam Swarek very carefully. He'd let Sam have this one, but not before getting a good dig in at him before he complied.

"Just remember," he said as he turned back to Sam with a grin. "You were right. You trained that girl good."

Once Boyd had walked through the door of the small apartment, Sam slammed the door shut and turned the dead bolt and turned to look at her. Andy had been nervous before, but Sam's calmness and his quietness were making her start to question her sanity. Andy knew that Sam wouldn't hurt her, but she wasn't all that sure he wouldn't give her a good tongue lashing for causing him worry. She wanted to get mad at him for being like this, but at the moment, the look in her eyes was actually making her feel like she did when her dad had caught sneaking out to meet a boy he had banned her from seeing.

"Sam that was rude," she said trying to master an exasperated tone. Now that she had spoken, a wall seemed to break within her that allowed her to get angry. "I got my job done! There is still more that I can do yet."

"Andy," her first name from him caught her off guard for a moment. "This isn't a joke, the ante has upped, its way up there," Sam exclaimed. "Putting you in there puts you too close to Brennan. If something happens, we can't come in there and get you. I can't have your back!"

"Sam you're being ridiculous," Andy yelled at him. "Boyd will have my back. He won't let me walk in there blind. I know exactly what's at stake here. It's you that doesn't!"

At some point during their argument, Andy had gotten past Sam and now had her back to the door. Sam had listened to her talk coming closer to the center of the room, but keeping her within his line of sight the entire time.

Sometimes he just didn't understand the way this woman thought. She had stayed quiet the whole while Boyd raved about her, even when Sam kicked Boyd out, he had noticed her quietness. Sam noted her lack of chatter and chalked it up to her being worried or scared about Brennan's offer. When Boyd put a timeline on her going to live with the Brennan's, her continued quietness and perceived worry and fear had kicked all of his protective instincts into high gear.

His mind raced with the possible excuses he could come up with to stop her from being ordered to go through with Brennan's offer. Now she was fighting him on trying to keep her out of this mission. He just simply couldn't fathom why she'd fight him on this when she was clearly upset and freaked out by the prospect.

"Explain it to me McNally," Sam drawled. "What don't I get?"

To his utter amazement, he actually watched as stomped her foot and let out a whining groan. Sam might have laughed at her under other circumstances and told her how much like a petulant child she looked, but at the moment there was simply nothing he could find amusing in her actions. She was stalling trying to keep him at him bay and confused. It was kind of working.

"Forget it," she muttered raising her chin.

"I won't forget it," he responded sharply.

He got the reaction he was hoping for. She was getting mad. When Andy McNally got mad she shot her mouth off at him. It was one of the fastest ways into her thoughts. She'd censor herself too late.

"This is a stroke of luck Sam," she nearly cried in anger. "This one thing could set up a takedown that could make a career, and I could help! I know you don't think I can pull this off or maybe you don't want my help with this big of a bust, but I can do this!" She was working herself up into an angry fit and her eyes were filled with both a plea for his support and a fire of determination.

"I know you can do this, but you don't need to make a career for someone off of this case," Sam retorted angrily. "I know you feel like you owe Boyd for running into his last ops, but he ran them in the dark and in case you forgot, _you_ helped me make it right and take down the bad guy. You don't owe him anything. He won't have your bad if this goes bad, he'll leave you hanging. _I_ won't be able to have your back in there!"

Andy had heard enough. While she might have admitted to herself later that Sam's concerns were most likely valid, she couldn't risk him bullying his way onto the case. The farther that Sam stayed away from this case, the better chances he had at getting back on GnG. That was what he wanted after all. Andy wouldn't screw this up for him again, especially after all he had helped through the two years.

"I don't need _you_ to have my back," she yelled at him, tears beginning to blur her vision. "Just this one time I need you to trust me enough to have your back for a change!"

"What are you talking about McNally," he demanded through narrowed eyes taking a step towards her. "You have my back every day we are out on those streets together. You're my partner."

"Sam, just trust me," she said. Andy tried to keep her voice from breaking. "Because you're my partner, I need to have your back on this. You'll get it later."

She gasped as Sam closed the space between them in a flash. Seeing him on the move, Andy backed up quickly and felt her back come up against the door**. **Sam caged her in as he leaned forward bracing both of her hands on the door on either side of her. His head tilted to the side as his eyes searched her face before meeting her eyes.

"I want to get it know," he said huskily.

Andy took a deep breath and brought her hand up to the inside of his elbow and pushed a bit to get him to back off and give her a bit of space. Her eyes slipped from his questioning face to her hand on the inside of his elbow and pushed again in vein. Sam didn't budge against her struggles to get him to move.

"Sam, don't," she nearly whispered as she tried not to meet his eyes.

Ignoring her, and her attempts to be freed from the cage of his arms, Sam leaned closer to her, bending his elbows so he could get closer as he took another step in towards her. There was barely an inch of space separating them and Sam could feel her body heat against his front. It would be so easy to press against her and kiss her right now, but first he had to figure out what she was hiding from him.

"Tell me McNally," he drawled out, nearly begging her to comply.

He noted the watery appearance of her eyes and thought that he would kill Boyd for pushing her to this reaction. She was crumbling in front of him and Sam hated it and himself for it, but he had to know what she was talking about. Why was this so important to her?

"Sam, I can't," her voice shook as she looked down away from, refusing to meet his eyes.

Sam couldn't help but reach down to cup her chin and bring her face up so that he could look in her eyes. "McNally," he said breathily, but with conviction. "You can tell me anything. I've got your back no matter what it is, no matter what Boyd told you."

"Not this Sam," she said hurriedly, jerking her face out of his hand. "If I tell you what's going he'll yank from the UC rotation."

When his eyes widened, Andy gasped at what she had just said. Her eyes starting darting around the room as Andy began to get nervous. She hadn't meant to reveal that Sam. Boyd was possibly going to kill her now.

"What did you just say," Sam growled at her. He felt his blood beginning to boil as he starting putting the pieces together of just how Boyd had gotten Andy to agree to this do this case in the first place. Why Andy was so adamant to go through with Brennan's offer was suddenly clicking in his head. Sam was seeing red. He might kill Donovan Boyd.

Andy remained silent knowing that answering Sam might not be the best possible option at the moment. He was working something out in his head, and she sure as hell wasn't about to break him out of his thoughts so that the full strength of his temper could be focused on her. She had enough experience with that to know that it was always uncomfortable and brutal.

"Shit," Sam swore furiously and shoved himself off the door quickly.

Andy was shocked at his sudden movement and gasped. Sam's eyes landed on her again. He took in her shaken appearance and felt conflicting emotions battle within him. On one hand, Sam was pissed off at her for hiding this from him, at Boyd for coercing her into this dangerous position, and fear. The fear came when he realized that had he not been aggravated by her lack of contact with him that caused him to storm into headquarters, Sam wouldn't even know that she was doing this. That brought on another wave of anger as need to protect her kicked into over drive.

A knock on the door made both of them jump and look towards the door. Andy was nervously fidgeting unsure of what to do. She looked up at Sam with a bit of uncertainty.

Sam met her uncertain look and wiped his hands roughly over his face before allowing his shoulders to drop in defeat.

"Maybe you should go clean up a bit while I talk to Boyd," Sam said quietly. Looking over at her, Sam summoned all the strength he had to remain clam. "I need to talk to Boyd for a minute while you calm down."

Andy knew that she should be furious at his being presumptuous about her needing a minute to compose herself after their conversation, even if he was right, but she couldn't be. She nodded and turned to go towards the small bathroom down the hall and mumbled a quiet thank you on her way.

Watching her retreating form, Sam turned back to the door after hearing the knocking again. Rolling his head to try and work the kinks out of his neck, Sam exhaled loudly as he unlocked the door to find a cocky Boyd smirking at him. And then he felt himself snap.

Allowing a sarcastic smirk that just barely hinted at his dimple to cross his face, Sam stood back to look down the hallway to make sure that Andy wasn't around and then turned back towards Boyd and grabbed ahold of the front of his jacket and yanked him forward. Taking advantage of the fact that Sam had caught Boyd unaware, he then slammed Boyd against the wall by the side of the door before kicking the door shut with a loud whack.

"What did you say to her," Sam demanded his voice dropped an octave lower than usual.

Boyd struggled against Sam a bit allowing an incredulous look to mar his face. "What are you talking about Sammy?"

Sam felt his grip tighten on the front of Boyd's coat as he pulled him forward a bit before slamming him back into the wall. "What did you tell her to get her to not only agree to this little op but to keep it from me?"

Boyd actually had the balls to smirk at him. "What's the matter Sammy, afraid you didn't train her well enough? Or is that she'll screw it up without you around?"

"She's a good copper," Sam muttered. "She's got a good head on her shoulders when she's not hiding what she's doing from her partner."

Boyd shrugged Sam's hands off of him and met Sam's eyes with something akin to amusement. "Still just your partner, eh?"

Before Sam could respond, he heard Andy's footsteps in the hallway. He stepped away from Boyd and turned to look at her. He saw that despite her attempts to dry off, Andy was still soaked through and shivering.

"Sa-Sam," her teeth chattered a bit. "Can we go, I'm freezing."

Sam turned to look at Boyd and nodded at her as he took off his coat quickly and offered it to her. When she shook her head to deny it, he rolled his eyes at her and held the coat out for her again. Once she begrudgingly accepted his coat, he turned to lead her out of the apartment.

"Get dry and get some rest McNally," Boyd spoke up. "Tomorrow you're going to take a sick day and we start planning."

Sam's jaw tightened a bit at her nod as she turned to go. Boyd's last dig as they turned to leave nearly sent Sam over the edge again.

"Make sure Diaz knows you're going away for a while. I don't need another angry man showing at my office demanding answers." Boyd was smirking at his own joke, and secretly loving the way Sam's entire body tensed at the mention of Diaz.

"Grow up Boyd," Andy muttered allowing Sam to lead her out of the little apartment and out to the back parking lot to his truck.

_**O o O o O o O**_

_**It didn't quite get to where I wanted it, but I think it laid the foundation for the UC. Let me know what you think!**_


	11. Chapter 11: Goodbyes & Settling In

**I apologize so much for the delay in updating. I had never planned on a nearly 5month hiatus. I've had some intense personal issues pop up that have taken away my creativity and thrown me through a loop. Long story short, the only thing I needed to accomplish to finish my wedding planning was to decide what flavors would make up my three tiered wedding cake and I've now had to call and postpone my wedding due to sucky circumstances and geography issues. I wish I had a better excuse to offer, but I don't.**

**Thank you especially to bebesmom , ariel133, and Lucianobsessed for giving a kick in the butt to get moving again.**

**I hope this next chapter doesn't suck too much!**

**Nikka**

**O o O o O o O**

Silence.

Windshield wipers groaning across the glass, metallic dings of rain hitting the hood of his truck, sloshes of water as Sam drove through the streets, and the whirring of the blower hitting the windshield, and, _silence._

Still seething with anger at her, at Boyd, at himself, and, hell he was just angry in general at the situation, Sam let his eyes slide over to look at his partner whose uncharacteristic silence was astounding him. From the corner of his eye, Sam could see that she was shivering and trying desperately to stop her teeth from chattering, but she wasn't talking. Sam slid his eyes forward again concentrating on the road and he narrowed his eyes.

Out of nowhere, he let out a belting laugh. He couldn't help it and the laughter bubbled forth in waves as he saw he startled expression.

This whole god damned situation was sickenly ironic. He had been dodging Boyd for months about going undercover. The tugging feeling in his chest had been his first indication that he didn't want to go, didn't want to leave her. And then, she got herself shot, and he just knew. Undercover isn't for him anymore. He has too much to lose. He'd miss too much, miss to many things with her.

Here he was trying to be patient, give her time and space. Sure he knew that Andy did neither of these things well as a pathological over thinker, but he was trying to give her what she needed. If he knew anything it was that she was hurting and despite what she said, Andy McNally needed time to decompress.

Unfortunately for Sam, his tried and true practice of providing time and space like the bona fide savant that she had labeled him as had blown up in his face. Somehow, his partner, who he was desperately trying to conceal that he'd fallen in love with, had left her fiancé, moved in with her best friend, and then moved out and into her other _friend's_ place and had settled into a relationship-like routine.

That right there was the stink of it all. Was the thing going on between Andy and Diaz simply _relationship-like_ or a relationship?

And then, out of nowhere, when Sam though that she couldn't beguile and confuse him anymore, she pulls a stunt like agreeing to work with Boyd!

All of that led to this moment with him laughing at her.

He sensed her shift in the seat next to him. Instinctively, he already knew what expression she wore on her face as she twisted in the seat to face him. It was incredulous and bewildered, and there wasn't a doubt in mind that there was some anger there too.

"What is so funny Sam," she asked with an obvious edge to her voice. He was trying to stop laughing, he honestly was, but the sternness to her voice just set him off again.

When he finally looked up at her again, the laughter died on his lips. Her arms were crossed over her check and she had narrowed eyes and an arrogantly disapproving look on her face. _Oh, she's pissed!_

Sam straightened up in his seat, and warred with conflicted emotions as he looked at her. He'd been on the receiving end of her temper a few times, he supposed it was only fair since his had been riled and aimed at her quite a few times in the past, but while he would have taken a small measure of enjoyment in to tease her about later, he was worried.

"You don't think this is funny," Sam asked her disbelievingly.

"What's funny?"

Had he not heard the edge to her voice tinted with a bit of concern, he may have shrunk back at bit from pushing this issue with her.

"You," he said flatly, looking at her. "Boyd. Working together. Covering for each other."

Andy's eyes widened and shot down to her wrist. The bruise really wasn't that bad, and it's not like Boyd had intended to hurt her. He had been worried about Brennan popping up around her so frequently, even if it was a good thing for the op. It came down to intention for her. He hadn't meant it and he'd apologized, something she never thought Donovan Boyd capable of, when he saw the light bruising. Andy honestly wasn't even sure what clued Sam in on it. She knew he was observant, but that was ridiculous. _Chris told him._

"Sam," the tiredness in her voice was evident. It had been such a long day.

He snorted at her and felt the anger build again. If she thought she could brush this situation off and not talk about it, when she pushed, poked, and weaseled her way into talking about everything else, she had another thing coming. Unfortunately, common sense got the better of Sam when he realized that in less than 48 hours she would be living with one of the cruelest enforcers that he had ever come across. This guy was internationally known and his partner, however competent and fearless, was going to confront this man on a daily basis with no backup. The thought sent chills down his spine and terrified him at all the different ways that this could go wrong. There would be no recovery for him if it did.

"Fine," his tone leveled and gravely as he looked out the windshield as he pulled the truck up to the curb outside of the house she shared with Diaz. "We're not done talking about all of this. There's a story here and you're going to tell me all of it."

Her lips quirked up in a little smirk. Despite being cold and tired, and frustrated with the world, Sam Swarek has somehow given her some little bit humor in this ridiculous situation and she loved him for it. Not that she could fully handle the weight of that admission, but she knew it was there in that moment, but now just wasn't the time for revelations.

"Wouldn't dream of holding out on you partner," she quipped.

On any other day, the glare that he sent her would have had her giggling uncontrollably and struggling for control which would undoubtedly piss him off, but today, today, she just looked straight ahead. She was nervous and scared, but this banter, it was reliable and allowed her to quiet some of the nerves that were knotting her stomach.

Sam parked the truck outside of Chris's house and turned to look at her. "McNally-"

"What do I tell him Sam," she asked cutting him off.

Sam saw the look of terror in her eyes, as well as the doubt. It killed him to see the doubt that lingered there because he knew she was good cop, a smart one. And just like he knew his name was Sam Swarek, he knew that Andy McNally was going to do this assignment and do it well. The realization that he had to help her leave for an indeterminate amount of time, and without him being able to tell her how he felt, was like a knife in the gut. This was going to hurt like hell and he was going to have to twist the knife to help her. Her words haunted him, "If you love something you should let it go."

He exhaled loudly and looked out the windshield before turning to face her. Reaching out, Sam felt his fingers close around her forearm as he ducked his head and gave a slight tug to get her to look at him. When her eyes met his, Sam spoke with a shaky breath.

"Tell him that you're going. No specifics. Tell him that you'll be out of contact but that, uh-" Sam stumbled over his words and looked at her. "Tell him you'll be safe, but you can't be associated with any cops right. Tell him you're coming home."

Sam watched as Andy processed his words and tried to swallow thickly. "Sam, I-" She stopped when she felt him squeeze her arm.

"Don't show any fear when you tell him or you'll blow this to hell."

Sam relaxed a bit when he heard her let out a shaky chuckle. "I'm a terrible liar. Always have been."

"You're coming home McNally, and you'll be safe there. Safer than any of the ops I've been on," he offered sincerely. "You're not lying, just not telling him everything. You do it with me often enough."

Andy looked pointedly at him before reaching for the door handle and sliding out to the truck. He watched her make a mad dash to the door in the pouring rain and sent a silent prayer that everything he told her was the truth. But he knew that with Andy McNally, a sure bet could south in a heartbeat. He just had to hope that she came out on top.

_**O o O o O o O**_

The last month has nearly sent her into a tailspin. Andy McNally had said her upsetting goodbye to Chris Diaz and left very vague letters to each of her friends that would be given to them by Sam. She had only told the truth to her Dad because she just couldn't leave without telling him. Oddly, he hadn't asked her if she was sure, just asked that she be careful and trust Sam.

For two weeks, her cover had been maintained at the daycare that Gracie Brennan attended as she gave her notice and began to prepare to be immersed in the Brennan's home as Candace O'Farrell. Sam and Boyd had been merciless in preparing her at night in the cover apartment. They had spent hours preparing her to assume her role, giving her specialized training and pointers.

The only thing that scared her was the fact that Boyd hadn't lost his temper or snarked at her once during those two weeks. He was focused and edgy, but he wasn't discouraging. That unsettled her more than Sam's constant presence or his heavy gaze always being on her. Probing her. Assessing her. Waiting.

Here she was, pushing Gracie Brennan on the swings, smiling as she squealed in delight and all she could think of was the last time she talked to Sam.

_Andy had been agitated all day and was pacing the apartment that she and Boyd were supposed to have shared as Gabby and Donny. At the rate she was going, Andy was pretty sure that she would wear a whole in the floor. Across the room, she felt Sam's eyes on her. He hadn't said a word, merely followed her with his eyes. She didn't have to look at him to know that he was propped against the wall, hunched over and hand poised to allow him to alternate between chewing on his thumb nail and rubbing his chin. _

_Boyd was doing his best to calm her, but his being nice to her only set her off. When his phone rang, Andy felt the nerves in her stomach constrict she almost thought she was going to throw up right there. Jamie Brennan was on his way up to get her. She had mere minutes. Her eyes darted to Sam in panic and the anger that she saw on his face rooted her to the spot. _

_She watched him push himself away from the wall and stalk towards her. When he was within inches of her, he stopped and glared down at him. _

"_Cut the crap McNally," he ground out. "You've got this. Don't fall apart on me now."_

_Her words ignited a fury in her. As if she would fail him. As if she wouldn't be able to do this! And how dare he think that –_

_Her internal monologue was cut off by Boyd speaking into his phone again while eyeing the pair of them. "Show time."_

_Andy pulled back and looked at Boyd. They had to make this fight look convincing if Brennan was to believe that she and "Donny" were not parting amicably. This would be her way out. She would have a way to slip out and meet with him while she was under. It would all be under the guise of trying to work it out or get stuff back._

_The fight turned heated quickly, both shouting at each other before being interrupted by Brennan's knock at the door as Sam retreated down the hall way and she grabbed her bags to go._

In hindsight, Andy realized that Sam had been helping her snap out of the anxiety and get her head back in the game. While she wanted to be pissed at him for his method, Sam had known that the only way for her to make it authentic in that moment was to piss her off.

Gracie squealed again in delight and Andy was brought out of her thoughts and back to the child enjoying the swings. They had bonded in the short time Andy had been with the Brennan's, and Andy couldn't help but feeling that despite the fact that the Brennan's were good people, Mr. Brennan was still hiding something although, Andy couldn't put her finger on it or find anything to back it up. All she could do was trust her gut, and her gut told her something was wrong.

Noting the chill in the air, Andy collected Gracie and began to make her way home. As she made her way towards the car, Andy looked over her shoulder and felt a chill go down her spine. She couldn't explain it, but she was feeling watched. The entire drive home had been slightly nerve wracking,

**O o O o O o O**

Maggie Brennan met her at the door when Andy arrived home with Gracie. She had already begun preparing dinner and was happy to take a break to greet Andy and her daughter. Maggie gladly accepted Andy's offer to help with the salad and finishing dinner.

It was hard to ignore how easily a routine had formed. Somehow, an unspoken routine had formed that allowed Andy a relative amount of freedom while caring for Gracie. The Brennan's put her to bed most nights and got her up in the morning. Andy took over after breakfast when Jamie headed to work and Maggie went out on her errands or went to work with her husband. They often ate dinner together, with Andy only excusing herself to her guest house on the edge of the property when she sensed that they needed family time.

When she realized that Maggie had asked her a question, Andy looked up from the cucumber that she was attempting to peel and looked at Maggie. "Sorry?"

Maggie smiled at Andy (well Candace as she knew her) and then looked at Candace's phone on the counter. "He still hasn't called you yet?"

Candace looked down at her phone and then at Maggie. It was time for her to perform. She shrugged and said murmured a "No," before going back to working on the offending vegetable.

Maggie stopped setting the table and looked at the young woman at the island. "Jamie told me about the argument when he went to fetch you. Your beau didn't approve of you taking the job?"

Candace but down the vegetable and looked up at her boss. She shook her head and tried her best to look dejected, "No, he thinks I should have stayed at the day care center."

"why?"

Candace looked up at her and shrugged. "Practice. Security." At Maggie's confused look, Candace continued. "He wants kids someday and he thought the job was a great way to practice being a mom. Plus, it brought the security of a job with insurance and more money." She hesitated trying to choke herself up. "He wanted a secure income for me."

"Day care not really your thing," Maggie asked quietly.

Candace laughed shortly and tried to smile. "Kids terrify me sometimes. After my mom left, I just was terrified of the prospect of motherhood. So being all day in day care surrounded by groups of kids freaks me out. Plays on my insecurities."

"You're great with Gracie," Maggie offered, clearly not buying the rationale.

"One kid, I can handle one kid," Candace offered lamely. "Multiple children terrify me," she said shuddering with a small smile.

"So what profession wouldn't terrify you Candace," Jamie Brennan asked from the doorway to the kitchen startling both women.

As Candace watched Jamie kiss his wife and scoop up his squealing daughter, she smiled at her and laughed.

"Insurance."

_**O o O o O o O**_

_**I hope you don't hate it, or have lost interest. And I certainly hope it meets expectations. Thank you again for all the kicks in the butt! I needed it!**_


	12. Chapter 12: Coffee Shop Kisses

_**Okay, longest chapter yet, but one of my most fun to write. I love Boyd, well actually just the chaos that he causes, but I guess that's the same thing. As promised a bit more of what Andy is doing on her UC and how the others are handling it, with a little added drama. I started this last week prior to my birthday, but after needing two days to recover and then finalizing work before my mini vacation, it got a little crazy. I hope you enjoy! I love your feedback!**_

_**Nikka**_

_**O o O o O o O**_

Andy had officially been Candace O'Farrell, living in the home of Jamie Brennan, one the mob's most infamous and feared enforcers, and being a nanny two his squirming two year old Gracie for a month and a half. The little girl was if anything, precocious, and always into something, but absolutely adorable little Gracie.

Andy was having a difficult time trying to reconcile the overprotective father and family man that was her current boss and mark with the man who had done some of the most unspeakable murders that Toronto had ever seen. It was like there were two very different Jamie Brennans in the world, and try as hard as she might, Andy just couldn't get the feeling that her boss could have done those things.

She shook her head to clear it of such thoughts. As much as she hated Boyd, he was clearly worried about Brennan's behavior and his tendency to show up everywhere that Andy was. They knew she was being tailed, but couldn't figure out who it was yet, or if Brennan knew. Andy was absent mindedly picking at her food while she waited for Gracie to finish playing with her father outside.

_**O o O o O o O**_

_Boyd had called her cell and asked to meet her. They had to maintain the pretense that her working for the Brennans had caused a rift. After a brief battle of wills of which Candace allowed herself to be sweet talked into meeting Donny at their coffee shop, Andy huffed and turned to go talk to the Brennans._

_Initially, Maggie had been supportive of Candace meeting Donny and trying to work it out, while her husband remained silent. He did offer to drive her to the coffee shop, and when she refused, he insisted saying that it was too far for her to think about a cab and the family was going to have a little outing that day and they could collect her when she was done. It seemed decided that the meeting would be brief and that the Brennans weren't prepared for reconciliation between Candace and Donny. They definitely held a grudge for her sullenness when she first came to stay with them. If only they knew that Boyd wasn't the real reason she was depressed._

_They dropped her off half a block from the coffee shop, and Maggie forced Candace to promise that she would call if she was uncomfortable or anything. Andy couldn't help but smile at her and then pinching Gracie's cheeks before she crawled out of the car. She had studiously avoid Jamie Brennan's gaze in the review mirror, but she could feel his eyes burning into her as she made her way to the coffee shop. He was assessing her, trying to figure it out. Andy only prayed as she entered the store that he hadn't figured out that she was a cop yet._

_Boyd set a cup of coffee in front of her as he made his way to the seat. Her eyes narrowed at him as he took the seat across from her and then told herself to relax a bit as he smirked at her._

"_Did you poison that," she asked with obvious snark in her voice as she eyed the cup of coffee suspiciously._

"_Nope," he smirked at her. "Thought about some ipecac syrup, but I figured Sammy would get pissed, Diaz would fight me for my honor, and then you'd figure out that the only way to get back at me would be to screw up my op."_

"_Ass," she muttered under her breath. She watched at smile broadened and she decided that she'd hide her scowl by taking a sip of her coffee. It tasted awful and she almost spit it out before forcing herself to swallow it as she scrunched up her face and then glared at a laughing Boyd._

"_Looks like I gave you mine instead," he was enjoying laughing at her and the pissed expression on her face. Secretly, he was starting to understand what Sammy and Diaz saw in her, but he'd never admit it. He pushed his cup towards her and reached for the one she had drunk from. "Sugar, heavy cream. I'm an ass, but not that much of an ass."_

_Andy felt her eyebrow shoot up as she tentatively sipped her coffee. Perfect, she thought to herself. "Did Swarek tell you to butter me up with the right coffee?"_

_"Nah," Boyd shook his head at her and smirked at her. "I pay attention, just like any groveling boyfriend would who was trying to beg you into coming to your senses and coming back to this prize of a man."_

_If it wasn't Boyd, Andy swore she would have laughed. Could it be that Boyd could actually be funny? She shook her head and leaned forward, causing Boyd to do the same._

"_Dream on Donny," she purred and leaned back watching as his eyes lit up with a humorous glint. He was actually enjoying this. A black sedan parking on the street caught her attention._

"_It's back," she whispered trying not to look in the direction of the car. "Have you guys been able to figure out who's been tailing me? I'm freaking out a bit, I do have Gracie with me quite a bit."_

_Boyd shook his head and his face showed some concern. "We don't think its Brennan."_

"_How can you be sure," Andy was carefully controlling her facial features. "It's been showing up everywhere I go. I'm freaking paranoid that I'm gonna get grabbed and I can't let that happen when I have Gracie with me."_

"_Don't get attached McNally," Boyd warned her gruffly. He knew she got angry with her when she leaned back in her chair and took a breath sending a glare at him. Damn, she was even cute angry he thought._

"_She's barely three years old Boyd," she growled out at him. "Don't tell me not to get attached. I don't want her to get hurt. I don't want to get kidnapped. Dammit!"_

"_Calm down," he growled right back at her while his eyes darting around the coffee shop._

_Andy huffed at him and sat back in her chair crossing her arms at him. "Please find out, I don't want a kid to get hurt because the nanny is an easy target."_

"_Fine," he pushed away from the table and got up to head to the bathrooms. "I'll make a call."_

_Andy sat at the table and sipped her coffee while trying to keep the sedan in her sights. Something was off. The hair on the back of her neck prickled and she just couldn't place the feeling in her gut that told her something was off about this entire situation._

_When the door opened and she heard familiar voices, Andy looked up at the newest patrons of the shop only to meet the gazes of Chris and Oliver. She felt herself flush slightly as her heart began to beat rapidly. She silently prayed that Oliver would have tight enough reign over Chris to keep him away. She could feel Chris's stare on her as she tried to avoid looking his way._

_When she felt a presence at her right she looked up startled to see Chris standing before her with a smile on his face. Just as she was about to panic, he reached out his hand to shake hers. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and baffled look as he spoke._

"_Hi, I'm Chris Diaz," he said with a smile on his face. "Can I ask your name?"_

_Bless his heart he remembered to pretend that he didn't know her. She let her hand slip into his for a friendly handshake as she smiled at him. "Candace. Nice to meet you officer."_

"_Enjoying the day Candace," he asked curiously clearly fishing for information._

"_Enjoying the afternoon off, waiting for my boyfriend actually to get back from the bathroom actually."_

_His face clouded at her words and Andy could tell that Chris was upset. She knew that he had a million thoughts going on in his head and none of them would be any good. Andy wished there was a way that she could let him know the boyfriend was Boyd, but she had to get him out of there fast. Cops were not people she could associate with right now._

"_Pity about the boyfriend," Chris drawled clearly perturbed. "I was just going to ask for your number."_

"_Don't you think that's a little inappropriate officer," she fired back at him with a smile._

"_Hey, I saw a pretty girl," he smiled at her, ignoring Oliver clearing his throat. "Decided I couldn't pass up a shot at saying hello."_

_She was about to speak just when she saw his take out his card and write something on it before handing it to her. "In case the boyfriend thing doesn't work out."_

_She watched as Chris smiled and turned to leave with Oliver who sent a worried glance her way. He practically shoved Chris out the door and then promptly smacked him in the back of the head. Andy laughed a bit and then looked down at the card. It had a number and short message._

_It's safe to call. I promise._

_Andy wanted to smack him and hug him at the same time. The number on the card wasn't his cell. He must have gotten a burner phone to call her. She looked up at the ceiling wondering when he had had the time to do it or if Sam had told him to do it and be ready. She let out a breath just as Boyd was coming back with a thunderous expression on her face._

"_What the hell was that," Boyd spat using her arm to pull her to face him and they left the coffee shop._

"_He said he saw a pretty girl and wanted to say hello," she answered him defiantly narrowing her eyes._

"_I don't like it. He needs to back off!"_

"_You don't need to like it," Andy retorted, feeling her anger rise._

_Boyd's face suddenly changed as she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Before she could turn to look at the movement he backed her up against the wall and kissed her soundly, holding her head in his warm hands. He was demanding and if Andy had to guessed, worried as he kissed her. Just as she was about to protest, a screeching two year old's voice caught her attention._

"_Caaan-dee" Gracie Brennan shouted to her as she hurried towards her._

_Andy broke the kiss and looked in Boyd's eyes in shock before pushing him away and turning towards Gracie's voice. Andy bent down with her arms open to catch the little girl and spied her parents behind her as she scooped her up into her arms._

_Boyd's face soured at the scene and couldn't avoid how endearing seeing her with the child was. He scowled at the scene and backed off trying to maintain the role as neglected lover. He avoided the dangerous look on Jamie Brennan's face as he eyed him up and down._

"_Everything okay Candace," Maggie asked her curiously._

"_Fine," Andy said in a cheery voice. She looked over at Boyd and make hasty introductions to her employers. No really seemed happy about the situation._

_Boyd excused himself muttering to her that he'd call her as she turned to go with the Brennans. She desperately tried to ignore the way that Jamie Brennan had hung back to watch Boyd as he left. Later that night, she had told Maggie about the "jealous incident" and the anger that led the scene she and her husband had witnessed. Maggie simply smiled at her and told her it would all work out._

_**O o O o O o O**_

That little scene was four days ago and it had still unsettled her. Boyd hadn't made contact and she was getting nervous. How hard could it be to track down that car? It wasn't like there weren't enough cops in the area that day. She sat absentmindedly spinning her cell on the counter and missed the entrance of Jamie Brennan.

"He'll call Candace." His voice had made her jump and look up at him startled. "And if he doesn't, then he's a fool to not see what he has."

Andy smiled softly at him, still not understanding the conundrum that was this man. "Thanks Mr. Brennan."

She watched him leave the kitchen and let out a breath. She silently wondered if Sam had ever been in such a confusing situation before in his own UC's.

_**O o O o O o O**_

* * *

><p>Sam had hit a brick wall trying to figure out who was driving the car that Andy had said had been following her. It had a fake plate, which meant it couldn't be traced. The GnG team had suggested pulling it over and detecting the fake plate to bring the occupants in for questions, but Sam and Boyd had nixed the suggestion not wanting to spook whoever it was watching Andy and the Brennans. If it was Brennan watching Andy, any incident would be circumspect for him to suspect her and as much as Boyd hated Andy, he hadn't been willing to take that risk. Yet. Sam had to remind himself that it as "yet" moment. If it served his purposes, he'd throw Andy into the fire before Sam could veto the idea.<p>

His frustration was magnified by the fact that Boyd hadn't kept his contact with Andy a secret. Sam knew that there had been six phone calls, twenty two text messages, and one encounter in the coffee shop. What he didn't know where the details of these meetings. Boyd was keeping incredibly tight lipped and it was driving him to distraction.

Sam knew that Boyd had met with Andy four days ago and that something had happened. Boyd seemed to smirk a bit more and enjoyed telling Sam that his girl was doing just fine. It wasn't that he didn't think she would do well, Sam knew she would do amazing, but he still worried. If he couldn't see her, Sam at least wanted to know the details about her job.

He flipped the file away from him in frustration and let out a heavy sigh. Rubbing his hands across his face, Sam felt the weariness that his body felt. It had been an incredibly long two months. Andy had been under almost four months in total and nearly two since he had seen her last before Brennan had picked her up and whisked her out of his reach. Boyd was her life line right now and that just didn't sit well with him right now.

"Sir," the voice broke into his thoughts and he looked towards the door seeing Diaz looking anxiously at him. Looking up at the ceiling again, Sam rubbed his face once more trying to figure out how his day could get any worse.

"Yeah," Sam replied gruffly looking at the man he was so curious about.

"Can I talk to you for a minute," Diaz asked suddenly looking unsure of himself as he looked over his shoulder. "About Andy."

Sam leaned forward, framing his nose with his hands as he looked at Diaz. Yep, his day was going to go to shit, for sure. He motioned for the younger officer to enter the room and tried to brace himself for this conversation. From the look on Diaz's face, he wanted to talk to Sam about as much as the senior officer wanted to listen to him.

"I saw Andy a few days ago," he stated simply. "I had to know if she was okay, I had to talk to her - "

"You did what," Sam demanded as he got up from his chair, ignoring the cringe on Diaz's face when it scraped the floor beneath him. "She's under, you knew that and you still talked to her! Don't you know how dangerous it is for her to talk to cops?"

Chris swallowed thickly unsure of how to make understand. He had to know that she was okay. She'd been gone for almost two months and under longer than that. Chris had missed and when he saw her in that coffee shop, he knew that he had to break protocol and speak to her. Talking to her, looking her in the eye was the only way that he was going to be able to tell if she was okay. Andy McNally had either improved at lying, or she really was fine.

"Shaw spent the rest of the shift freaking out on me," Chris offered. Sam's temper had certainly surpassed anything he had been expecting. Was talking to her really such a bad move? "He even slapped me upside the back of the head so hard my ears rang!"

"He should have hit you a bit harder," Sam ground out as a new figure entered the doorway.

"Is this your training mode Swarek, threaten the rookies," Boyd asked pushing his way into the small office and pulling out the chair opposite Sam.

Sam spun towards Boyd having a new target to direct his ire at. "Did you know that he," Sam gestured angrily towards Diaz, "spoke to McNally a few days ago? I mean he actually went up to her and talked to her, in _uniform!"_

"Yep," Boyd said taking a sip of his coffee and looking down at the file that Sam had pushed across the desk earlier. "I was there."

"Unbelievable!" Sam's exasperation at the situation was mounting. "How did you let that happen," he demanded from Boyd.

Boyd snorted and looked up at him impassively. "I was calling _you_ about the car that McNally keeps seeing, that's how that happened. I didn't know that her boyfriend was going to be dumb enough to actually waltz up to her and talk to her in uniform."

Chris felt growing dismay watching the two senior officers. His eyes had been volleying between the two. They were currently engaged in an epic staring contest completely forgetting that he was even in the room.

"I approached her and introduced myself," Chris offered. He stuttered over his next words as the heated glares of the other two men landed on. "I pretended to hit on her, gave her my card. That's all."

Sam merely narrowed his eyes at the younger officer, clearly relieved that he at least pretended that he didn't know Andy, but he refused to show it. Boyd scratched the scruff that passed for his beard and tilted his head from side to side before standing up to look Diaz in the eye.

"That reminds me," he told Chris. "If you ever approach another of my UC officers again and then give that officer a number of a burner cell, I'll make sure you work desk for a year. Minimum."

Sam's eyes widened at the stupidity of it all, and the audacity. Secretly, he was wondering why he hadn't thought of the same thing. He could see that Diaz really was desperate for contact with her. The realization was like a ton of bricks hitting his chest. He watched as Diaz's throat worked to swallow down the threat that Boyd had just issued. The words he mumbled had been lost on Sam as the younger officer made his way to leave.

Sam was still processing the entire encounter and trying to from some kind of appropriate response when Boyd began talking again.

He flipped absent mindedly through the file and laughed to himself before saying out loud, "At least I finally get why Diaz is so hell bent on seeing or talking to her again."

Sam snorted and rolled his head on his shoulders. "Oh yeah," he half laughed, "why is that?"

"Because when I kissed her," he bragged. "She was full of fire and passion. I wouldn't let that go either."

Sam knew that his jaw had gone slack for just a moment before his eyes narrowed with a dangerous glint. He pinched the bridge of his nose wondering how his day could get any worse. "Let me get this straight," he asked tiredly. "McNally actually let you get close enough to kiss her and she didn't punch you? Because you're face looks pretty undamaged?"

Boyd laughed at Sam and looked up from the file. "She had to pretend she liked it. Brennan was walking down the side walk."

After an hour of harassing Boyd to tell him what happened at his meet with Andy, he found himself in the locker room beating a few more dents into his locker.

"Hey bud-dy," Oliver drawled out coming to stand near him. "Boyd that much fun huh?"

Sam stopped his temper tantrum just long enough to look at his best friend and mutter, "He kissed McNally the day you and Diaz saw her."

Oliver's eyes widened substantially and on any other day, Sam would have laughed his ass off at his friend. Today he was too distracted. Oliver was grateful for the distracted state since that meant he was technically off the hook for not spilling the beans about seeing McNally with Diaz.

"His face didn't look messed up," Oliver said reaching up to scratch the back of his head while clearly pondering the state of Boyd's face. "Did she hit him somewhere that he could hide the bruises? She's smart like that you know."

Sam snorted at him again before kicking his locker soundly one last time for good measure. "_Nope_," he added extra emphasis on the "p". "She had to pretend that she actually liked it since her mark was around."

"Uh," Oliver looked at him again with a bit of concern. "Poor kid, bet she _loved_ that."

Sam merely grunted and stormed out of the locker room. The last thing he really needed to do was have a witness to his frustration about his partner's UC op that he could barely be any help with. This whole standing on the sidelines thing was getting old. He was getting itchy to dive in and get to work.

_**O o O o O o O**_

Despite the anxiety of the night before, the last few days really, and Boyd's failure to call her, Andy decided to keep Gracie's routine as normal as possible. They drove to the park and Andy laughed as she pushed the toddler on the swings and listened to her squeal with delight. She was so absorbed in the child that she ignored the feeling in her gut that something wasn't right. Andy never saw the black sedan pull up to the corner of the park, or the fact that Jimmy O'Rourke and two of his men crossed the grass towards her and Gracie until he spoke her.

"What a beautiful day it is Ms. O'Farrell, wouldn't you say," he asked her clearly enjoying that he had spooked her.

Andy grabbed the swing chains tightly pulling Gracie towards her as she looked up at the three men. She noticed for the first time that despite the public setting, she and Gracie were relatively secluded from the other park goers and at the mercy of the three men in front of her. She swallowed thickly pulling Gracie out of the swing seat and clutched the child to her.

_**Hope it was worth the wait! Love hearing what you think. Can't wait, only two more days!**_


	13. Chapter 13: SOS

_**Thank you so much for all of your awesome encouragements and feed back. I am bowled over by your responses to this story. I just got an email today about the Rookie Choice Awards, which I've seen have been talked about during my absence from writing. Thank you to whom ever nominated Bohemian Rhapsody (and Chris's character in this story). I'm stunned and more grateful than I can say even be nominated! Don't forget to check out the other, much more amazing stories that are nominated!**_

_**This is not my favorite chapter by far, but it serves its purpose. I think the next few are going to be a little tough on me... the good side... there are more chapters then I anticipated to this story, unless I make it a two parter. Not sure yet, but I know where I want this end.**_

_**One last rambling thought, is anyone else nervous about Sam and Andy's relationship? This last episode had me going between nearly crying and being irrationally angry that they were already setting us up for heart break. (sighs) Here's to hoping I'm not right!**_

_**Enjoy and please let me know what you think!**_

_**Nikka**_

_**XXXXX**_

"What a beautiful day it is Ms. O'Farrell, wouldn't you say," he asked her clearly enjoying that he had spooked her as he watched her tense reaction.

Andy grabbed the swing chains tightly pulling Gracie towards her as she looked up at the three men. She noticed for the first time that despite the public setting, she and Gracie were relatively secluded from the other park goers and at the mercy of the three men in front of her. She swallowed thickly pulling Gracie out of the swing seat and clutched the child to her.

She looked down at Gracie who didn't seem perturbed about her play time being interrupted and then looked back at the three men at the edge of the grass in front of her. A wave of protectiveness hit her and for a moment, the feeling startled Andy. If this was even a fraction of what Sam felt every time she got into trouble, she owed him a huge apology. Andy looked at the men and knew that her anger was beginning to build and prayed silently for this to turn out well.

"Mr. Rourke," she began in clear yet firm voice. No need piss off the crazy mobster right? "I'm sorry, my employer wouldn't want me to speak with you, especially when a child is around."

Andy watched cautiously trying not to narrow her eyes at the men and keep her face impassive at the same time. She knew that it wasn't working out to well when Jimmy Rourke quirked his lips up into a little smirk.

Rourke made a show of looking around for something or someone before he smirked at her again. "I don't see Jamie here Ms. O'Farrell. So I guess I don't see the problem. I think you come and have a chat with me."

Gracie made a noise of discomfort in her arms causing Andy to look down at her and jostle the toddler in her arms to quiet her. Settling Gracie into a comfortable position in her arms, Andy reached up to tug her necklace and allow the little girl to play with her shiny piece of jewelry. She was silently thanking every type of god for the foresight to put the necklace on this morning. Andy prayed that she wouldn't be left alone too long before help arrived. She turned her full attention on the man in front of her and began talk to her way out of him thinking she could go with him.

** O**

"Sam you've got to let this go," Boyd said with a scowl on his face as he entered the small office that he had commandeered at the Fifteen Division. "He didn't jeopardize her. He was actually smart about it. I threatened his career. Hell, I'd say the situation was taken care of."

Sam followed in Boyd's wake and watched as he pulled out a chair to the desk he had made his own and couldn't help but scowl at him. They had been doing a lot of scowling at each other lately and Sam had asked himself on more than one occasion what exactly it was about Boyd that he had liked in the past.

"Look Diaz is a good kid," Sam muttered, still not believing that he was once again defending the man in Andy's life. "But how sure are you that he didn't jeopardize her? Brennan isn't someone who tolerates a lot, especially when his family is involved."

Boyd glanced up at him and then scratched his jaw. He was getting mightily tired of Sam Swarek second guessing his every action. He had run a lot of ops in his career, and Sam had been on many of them with him. They had, in a way, forged their careers together. Sam was simply too good at what he did to become a paper pusher, and as much as he hated it, Boyd had to trust the feeling in Sam's gut that something wasn't right. Brennan didn't even seem to be in the business, but there was something in _his _gut that told him the operation with McNally was going to be a way to finally hook Brennan for all of the crimes he'd committed and helped to be the bust of his career. Boyd had half a mind to chalk it up to professional jealousy, but he knew that Sammy wasn't that kind of guy.

Boyd actually felt like he had to admit a few things that he had come to realize lately to someone other than himself. "Sammy, the kid screwed up. But," he paused a moment looking at him. "Your girl didn't. She stayed calm. No one suspected a thing. She thought on her feet and no one is worse for the wear besides being a bit jumpy."

"I don't like," Sam grunted.

"You don't have to," Boyd dead panned. "You just have to trust me. Trust McNally. If she was in trouble, I would know."

"How? You haven't made contact in days." Sam's eyes were burning with curiosity as looked at Boyd across the room.

"Relax Sammy, I gave her a transmitter. She hasn't activated it, so, if my book that means we're all good."

Sam could feel the rage boil inside him. That was a surefire way to get someone caught, especially living with someone as suspicious as Jamie Brennan.

"You did what," Sam demanded trying to keep his temper under control. "Jamie Brennan is a suspicious bastard and you gave a transmitter! What if he finds it?"

While he was pissed at Boyd, he was also secretly grateful for his attempt to keep an eye on her. _Thank God she has a way to let us know she's in trouble._ That was thought that allowed him to calm down some as he missed the words that Boyd was saying to him. The next thought that hit him like a ton of bricks almost undid carefully constructed control. _What if Brennan finds it and figures out that she's a cop?_ A feeling of nausea allowed him to continued blocking out Boyd's explanation until a beeping noise coming from Boyd's desk.

Sam watched curiously as Boyd stopped talking and his face paled. He reached down to yank his desk drawer open and picked up his phone. He pushed a button on his screen and then closed his eyes for a moment as if to think of his next move.

"Boyd," Sam asked cautiously, not in the least enjoying his reaction.

Boyd's eyes snapped open and looked at Sam with a slightly pained expression as the beeping continued. Feet pounding down the hallway could be heard, just before David burst through the door looking at Boyd when the phone in his hand. Several things happened at once. First, Boyd seemed to be knocked out of his statute like state and began issuing orders. David started dialing as he turned to hurry from the room. And Sam, while Sam stood stock still, eyes darting back and forth watching the goings on with some nervousness building.

Half way out of the door, Boyd noticed Sam still standing in the middle of the room trying to process exactly what was going on.

"Sam," his voice was almost a whisper. "It's McNally's transmitter. She's in trouble."

_** O**_

As Boyd navigated the car through the Toronto streets at a break neck pace, Sam replayed the last few minutes in his mind. Andy had activated her transmitter and then hadn't responded to Boyd's calls. As much as Sam wanted to believe that this was all a mistake, that Andy had accidentally set off her emergency device and then happened to have not been near here phone, he couldn't believe it himself.

Sliding his ear piece in and hearing the chatter, he closed his eyes briefly before pinching the bridge of his nose.

When he opened his eyes again, Sam was calmer, focused on the job at hand. An officer was in distress and he was part of the back up team. The most important thing that he could do right now was be focused and collected. McNally was smart and resourceful. That was what he kept chanting in his head as they raced across town to Hyde Park.

"Shuts the sirens down," he spoke brusquely on the radio. "Silent approach. No lights. We don't want to spook whoever has her."

Boyd looked over at him with a nod before muttering, "Twelve minutes."

Sam nodded back at him before telling everyone to slow down and separate. They knew from the locator on Boyd's phone that Andy was near the playground. Sam watched in the mirrors and the caravan of unmarked cars broke away from the pack and headed towards the play ground.

Before they left the car, both Boyd and Sam listened to the radio chatter as the other units got into position. Some had already headed out on foot. Sam scanned the area and looked over each woman in the park with a critical eye.

After a group of kids took off in what looked like a game of tag, Sam caught sight of her. Andy was holding a little blonde toddler in her arms and had a determined posture. _Shit._

Before he could get out of the car, Boyd told him to stay. Noting Sam's glare, Boyd shook his head before turning back to Sam.

"Stay Swarek. It's not Brennan, and I don't want to make this worse. I'm supposed to be the boy friend. Let me try to sort this out. Otherwise move in and we're doing an extraction. You know what to look for it's your call."

Sam nodded knowing that Boyd's logic was sound. He heard the radio chatter affirming Boyd's hand off of command to him. He sat back and tried to watch the entire scene unfold. Boyd was about half way out of car when they both saw Andy recoil from a slap and nearly stumbled back with Gracie still in her arms.

"Son of a bitch," Boyd shouted and began to scramble out of the car.

"Stand down," Sam's voice echoed through the ear piece. It was devoid of any emotion, and so unlike stared to him with disbelief before catching Sam's nod in the direction of Andy.

They both watched in silence, Sam sitting in the passenger seat seething with rage, and Boyd stood stock still beside the car watching the scene before him, waiting for Sam's order. The radio was silent as the dozen or so eyes watched Jamie Brennan quickly approach the group near the swings and pull Andy and to face him as he patted his daughter's head.

_** O**_

Andy knew that being defiant probably wasn't in her best interest, but she was angry. Jimmy Rourke and his henchmen had had the audacity to confront her in broad daylight in on a children's playground and then demand her cooperation. Her mind raced as her senses sharpened with the flush of adrenaline coursing through her system. She took a deep breath and tried to adjust Gracie so that she was further back on her hip away from the men. Protocols were running through her head as she tried to figure out an exit strategy.

After her third denial to accompany Rourke and his men, she knew that getting out of this unscathed was probably not going to happen at this point. If someone asked what she found funny enough in this moment to laugh, Andy was damned sure she wouldn't even remember. All that she registered was that her indignant laugh has caused a swift change in Rourke's demeanor. A shadow crossed his features and his eyes narrowed at her dangerously.

Before there was any moment to react, he had already lunged at her, slapping her so hard across the face she nearly dropped Gracie in her arms when she stumbled back. While the hit seemed to happen in slow motion, time seemed to speed up when she began to stumble. Gracie's cries seemed to echo in her ears as the child clutched to her in fear and Andy whirled back around throwing her hand up to hold the bad of the toddlers head keeping her face away from Rourke.

When he nodded and his men took a step forward, Andy felt panic nearly swallow her whole. She thought about running, but knew that would be futile with Gracie, but she wasn't going down without a fight.

"Don't you think your boss would find it interesting to know that you personally broke a deal that he and I made," a dangerously calm, yet familiar voice interrupted the men's advance on her.

Andy jumped at the sound of the voice and turned her head to see Jamie Brennan approach with a blank look on his face. He paused next to her, resting a hand on her shoulder and patting Gracie's head. When his eyes met hers, Andy nearly gasped. For the first time since she had met Jamie Brennan, she was afraid of him. His clear blue eyes were cold and lifeless, and full of hatred. She wasn't looking at the Brennan she had become familiar with over the last few months, she was looking at Brennan the killer. A chill raced down her spine.

"So nice of you to join us Jaime," Rourke smirked looking their interaction between Brennan and his employee. "Awfully convenient don't you think, showing up here just in the nick of time."

When Brennan remained silent through Rourke's little speech, the man continued again. "Does Maggie know that you're screwing the nanny?"

Andy gasped looking startled at Rourke's assumption. She watched in disbelief as Brennan smiled at the man in front of him, and not just any smile, but a megawatt smile.

"I'd watch your words carefully right now Rourke," Brennan spoke in a cold voice. "I wouldn't give me another thing to report to your boss if I were you."

Brennan reached in his pocket for his cell phone and pressed a number on the key pad, a few seconds later, Brennan held the phone up and clicked it over to speaker phone. After three rings a man picked up.

"Jamie," a cautious voice spoke over the speaker. "What can I do for you?"

"It seems Mr. Rourke has violated our agreement and assaulted a my daughter's nanny in Hyde Park." Brennan smirked as Rourke and his men visibly shifted clearly uncomfortable.

"Is that so," the voice mused. "Can he hear me?"

"Yes, sir," Rourke spoke up in a voice that was nearly as confident as it had been when he had Andy cornered on her own.

"Report back to my office within the hour. We have to discuss some ground rules and expectations."

"Yes, sir," the man responded quietly clearly angry. His eyes burned with hatred as he looked at Brennan.

"Jamie, have a good day. I'll be in touch."

Brennan smirked and replied that he'd be waiting while Rourke and his men turned to stalk away. When they were a safe distance away, he tugged Gracie from Andy's arms before asking her if she was okay. As he ushered her back towards their respective cars, he made her catch him up on what had happened.

_** O**_

As he stalked back to his car, Jimmy Rourke couldn't help but let the anger of the moment boil up to the surface. He reached into his pocket and fished out his phone and searched for a number. When he found it, he dialed it and waited for someone to pick up.

"Jaimison," Rourke mused. "I need a favor. This will repay your debt."

_** O**_

Frank Best had listened as Boyd briefed him and the Superintendent on what had transpired today in Hyde Park. One of his officers had sent out a distress signal and still hadn't been pulled from her assignment. He had listened the information, reconciled the decision to not interfere with the decision, and hoped for the best. Boyd even went so far as to compliment McNally's resilience in the operation thus far.

Yet, none of that seemed to matter as proud of his officer as he was. No, Frank Best was watching his friend stand silently in the corner. Swarek may have commented on Boyd's report, and thrown in a few sentences of agreement or his views, but he remained mostly silent and impassive. So unlike Sam. His mind was engaged elsewhere and Frank wasn't sure how to help his friend. Not for the first time, Frank cursed McNally's eagerness to prove herself and his friend's ardent belief that she was ready and capable for this assignment. There would be no peace at 15 until this case was wrapped and McNally was back aggravating her partner and wrapping him around her finger.


	14. Chapter 14: Checking In

**I think we've a hit a point where the story has started to fizzle. Next chapter should have a lot going on, but I needed to set the ground work first. Thank you to the one or two readers who challenged me on my take of Sam and Andy in this story. I intentionally played with their characters, and that did make them different from the ones we love, but creative license sometimes takes you away from the norm. I was trying to make Andy more emotional mainly because a child was involved and Sam a bit more aloof to allow her space to develop. There is a reason that won't become apparent until I conclude this piece, and I know exactly how that will be. It has always been my end goal, it's just the getting there that has it a bit muddled. I hope it makes sense at the end. Thank you for the feedback, it is helpful and I keep that in mind as I continue to develop these characters in this little fanfic. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own it, I just dabble (other wise all these rumors about the breakup on the show would be eliminated at once! I'm already devastated and I have no clue what's coming!**

**Thank you and hopefully you enjoy **

**Nikka  
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** O**

Andy's hands were shaking as Jamie Brennan buckled his daughter into her car seat. Her cheek still stung from the hit that that Jimmy Rourke had been so courteous as to bestow upon her. Luckily, Andy thought grimly, he hadn't hit her hard enough to break the skin. She could see in her reflection in the glass that while her cheek was and angry shade of red, the swollen center of her cheek bone had the beginning of what she suspected was going to be a nasty bruise. Andy grimaced slightly at the thought of what Sam would do when he saw the bruise, he never handled violence against women with anything short of hatred. Letting out a breath, she let her eyes meet her employers realizing that he had been speaking to her.

"I'm sorry Mr. Brennan," she said lamely, clearly letting her distraction show. He looked around as if looking for more trouble to come at them.

"Candace, get in the car. Get Gracie home. Turn on the alarm at the house." His blue eyes turned back to meet hers with a flicker of concern. The eyes she was looking into were no longer the eyes of a cold blooded killer that she had witnessed during the confrontation with Rourke, but the eyes of the man she had come to know was the doting father and devoted husband. "Don't dawdle, get back to the house. If Maggie is there make sure she sets the alarm, tell her what happened."

Andy swallowed thickly slightly afraid of what was going to happen once Brennan arrived back at the house. She moved to follow to open the door while internally debated whether or not she was going to drive straight the GnG headquarters across town or if she was going to really do as he was asking, no demanding her to do.

She was stopped by Brennan grabbing her arm to stop her from sliding into the seat.

"I'm sorry Candace," he said earnestly. "It seems that my past is wreaking havoc on my present and you paid the price for it today."

Andy looked at him for a moment and then decided that she was done playing it safe. She knew that Boyd was somewhere, probably watching her right now. This could be her last chance before he intercepted her and the op was over. Boyd had been very clear that once she used the transmitter, it was game over. Inwardly, she cursed herself for activating it, but in the moment that she allowed Gracie to play with the necklace, she knew that she couldn't let anything happen to the child. Andy just hoped that Boyd wasn't going to rant at her for compromising yet another operation for him. They had been getting along so well lately, well, they weren't trying to rip each other's heads off at any rate.

"Go on now," he said urging her to head home. "Get home quickly. And thank you for protecting my daughter today."

Andy hesitated before getting into the car. She needed to make this worthwhile. "If I do as you say, will I get some answers about what happened today?"

Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she was positive that the drumming in her ears would drown out the answer to her question. To her surprise, Brennan actually smirked at her a bit. It wasn't a smirk of laughter like those that Sam would send her way when he was teasing her, or the ones when he was about to get into trouble. No, the smirk on Brennan's face was simply an expression of his slight humor at her audacity. She was overly familiar with this type of smirk thanks to her partner.

"Yes," he said simply with no further explanation. "Now get my daughter and yourself home. Safely."

Andy nodded at her temporary boss and slid into the driver's seat. She chatted away to Gracie on her ride home, acutely aware of the fact that she wasn't out of danger yet, nor was this op guaranteed a life line beyond the point in which Boyd could intercept her.

She was bundle of nerves the entire fifteen minute drive, checking her mirrors, and being overly observant at stop lights. When she saw a police cruiser approached her from the other side of the intersection, Andy nearly jumped out of her skin with worry that this whole thing was about to be over without getting any real information.

When the car passed her without any incident, Andy felt the uneasiness in uncoil inside of her leaving a slight feeling of nausea before Gracie's squeals forced her to pay attention to the toddler.

When she pulled into the Brennan's drive way, she had noticed that Mrs. Brennan had already returned from her errands and was throwing the large white door open to meet her as she and Gracie made their way into the house.

"And how is my girl today," Maggie Brennan bent to ask her daughter who was excitedly chatting away about Candy's new boo boo and her day at the park. Scooping her daughter up into her arms, Maggie Brennan looked into Andy's eyes with an inquisitive expression. "How are you doing Candace?"

Andy attempted to smile at her, but it came out more like a grimace. Luckily, Maggie seemed to take it as being a consequence of her cheek hurting and the shock of the situation. She smiled at her knowingly and motioned for the girls to make their way into the house, but not before giving one good look around the yard before closing the door and locking it.

"Mrs. Brennan," Andy asked her while they watched Gracie scamper off into another room. "What's going on? Who's Jimmy Rourke?"

Maggie turned towards Andy with an unreadable expression on her face. Turning her head to get a better look at Andy's swollen cheek, Maggie simply exhaled and turned to head down the hallway. "Let's get some ice on that Candace."

Andy stayed rooted in the spot, not willing to let this go. "Please, Mrs. Brennan," her voice was small and quite. There was a hint of desperation there, but Andy didn't want to question it too closely. "Please tell me what's going on? I was blindsided today and I don't want to think about what could have happened if Mr. Brennan hadn't gotten there when he did. Should I be scared?"

Andy was actually a bit proud of herself. She was sticking to the facts and keeping it real. Fear and anger were bubbling within in her and there wasn't a clear victor in sight. So many things were left in limbo, she wasn't sure where to begin, but sticking with her natural inclination, asking questions and trying to figure out the situation was surely something any curious person would do.

"Candace," Maggie bemused tiredly. "I think we should wait for Jamie to get home and then him explain the situation. It's best coming from him anyway."

That was it. She had been dismissed. Andy had thought that Maggie would be her best bet to get information, but clearly there wouldn't be any answers except from Brennan himself.

Andy didn't know what she could do to occupy herself while she waited for Jamie Brennan to arrive back at the house. She suspected that his arrival would be the beginning of an uncomfortable and tense evening where his questions were answered and hers were ignored. Knowing that she was going to be scrutinized by his penetrating gaze throughout this conversation made her antsy. He had this intensity in his eyes that unsettled her when he looked at her. He was a lot like Sam in that matter.

Shaking her head, Andy looked at the clock and sighed. She really just wanted to go home. To come home from a long shift and go for a drink at the Penny with her friends. She missed goofy around and making fun of Dov and then going home to relax with Chris while they placed bets on how long it would be before walking in the door that Dov would talk about how amazing Sue was.

"Candace?"

The sound of Maggie Brennan's voice made her jump a bit. As she turned to look at her, Andy heard her cell phone ringing and looked down seeing "Donny" flash across the screen. She sucked in a breath and winced for a moment before looking up.

"You should really pick up," Maggie chided gently. "That's the third time the boy has called. It must be important."

_Oh I just bet it is._ Andy exhaled loudly and smiled at her. "Sorry, I was just out of it." She paused for a moment unsure of herself and looked up again. "I don't really know what to tell him about today," she said sheepishly.

Maggie quirked her head to the side and the hint of smile on her face. "Tell him what you need to Candace, but don't worry him too much until you have the facts. You're also going to have to tell him how you really feel at some point."

As the rings stopped , Andy looked at Maggie with a guilty look and exhaled. "Is it that obvious," Andy asked.

"No," Maggie said simply. "Not unless someone knows you well."

Andy watched as she turned to go back to Gracie who was calling for her. Maggie turned back to her as if a thought occurred to her with a question. "Before I forget," Maggie asked. "Did the brakes feel funny to you? They were acting weird the other day."

Surprised by the question, Andy had to struggle to think today. She had Mrs. Brennan's car so that she could take Gracie to the park while the other car was being serviced. The brakes had been a bit touchy, but honestly, she couldn't really remember.

"Maybe a little touchy," Andy answered with a shrug. "But I honestly can't remember."

Whatever it was that Maggie Brennan was going to say was cut off by Andy's phone ringing again. She looked down at the screen and saw that it was Boyd again. _Shit._ She looked up at Maggie again biting her lip.

"Answer the phone Candace," she said sternly. "Talk to the boy."

"Yes, ma'am," Andy responded watching her walk down the hall. She hit the little green button of doom and raised the voice the phone to her ear, "Hello?"

** O**

Boyd stomped into his office with his phone pressed against his ear. This was the third time he'd tried to get ahold of McNally in ten minutes. When the rings stopped and her cheerful voice kicked her over to Candace's voicemail box. He slammed his phone down on the desk and began to mutter a low string of explicatives. What he didn't want to admit to himself was that he really was worried about her. McNally had proven herself these last few weeks, had put up with his endless criticism and stayed focus.

She was doing a damned decent job of this operation and when he saw the situation in the park this morning, he had nearly been moved to end the entire thing right there. The only thing that saved his ass and the op's was Swarek. This was his partner whom he was notorious for protecting and guiding, yet when it came down to it, Swarek made the call to keep her in play. Boyd was ready to pull her, but Swarek saw something that he didn't and that bothered him. Something told him to let the situation play out and not to interfere. Boyd desperately wanted to know what it was that Swarek saw.

"Still not answering," Swarek asked from the doorway. He met Boyd's scowl with a stare from Sam that gave nothing away about his inner thoughts. If Boyd knew that he was wound up to his breaking point with worry about Andy, he would use it against him and question his motives at every turn. Sam knew that he had to reign in his emotions and stay calm despite the growing urges to dash in and yank his partner out of this operation. They hadn't interfered and she'd been hurt today. Now they had to keep their heads in the game to get her home. _Maybe Ollie's right,_ Sam mused to himself, _maybe I need to finally have that talk with her._

"Be patient," Sam forced himself to say. "She'll call."

Boyd's head snapped up to him and his eyes narrowed. He was pissed off, worried, nervous, and downright confused at his feelings. For some strange reason, Donovan Boyd was worried about what McNally was enduring right now and he hated that. Sure he would be concerned about any of his UCs in a similar situation, but he had a feeling that something was off with this situation and the entire operation was in trouble.

"Look," Sam stated flatly. "Give it one more try and then try to stay out of it. She'll make contact. If she doesn't within in the hour, send a uniform to the house."

While Sam seemed calm on the surface, his mind was racing. Andy hadn't answered any of Boyd's attempted phone calls, and they knew she left the park with Brennan's kid. So what the hell was happening? Nothing seemed to make sense. She was breaking the rules that they had laid out in the days preparing her to move in with the Brennans. Sam was getting a gnawing feeling in his gut and he didn't like it at all. Something was about to go sideways and his heart cinched at the thought.

"I thought for sure you'd be all over me about calling your girl," Boyd taunted.

Sam shook his head. "I trust my partner," Sam replied matter of factly. "She's got good instincts and she trusts her gut. There's a reason she hasn't picked up."

As Sam watched Boyd digest what he had said and then began dialing again. He desperately hoped that was he told Boyd was right. That there was a reason she didn't answer his calls and it wasn't because she was being tortured or hurt by Brennan. He inhaled through his nose and tried to center himself. Andy McNally was smart, resourceful, and for a danger magnet, somehow, usually came away without a scrape to show for it unless you counted his frazzled nerves.

"Babe," Boyd's voice distracted him from his thoughts. Sam could only imagine the expression on her face at Boyd's pet name. He watched Boyd as he moved to place the phone on speaker so they could both hear her.

"Where are you," Boyd asked casually despite the fact that he was burning with curiosity to know how bad this was going to get.

"In my room." Andy's voice was clear and there was no underlying falsetto to betray her. Sam's knees nearly buckled at the realization that she was okay.

"Huh," Boyd let out a satisfied noise. "So what'd you do today."

"Went to the park with Gracie. You know, waited for your call."

Sam wanted to smirk because the tone in her voice clearly belied that she was anything but amused with Boyd's swarmy tactics. Sam made a mental note to pay closer attention to Boyd's conversations with his partner in the future. There was a hint of something that made him uneasy about Boyd's intentions when Andy was around.

"Well you missed three of them," Boyd replied getting a bit snarky.

"I was busy." Short , sweet , to the point. McNally was frustrated.

"All right any more run-ins with that cop who hit on you on at the coffee shop?"

"Nope," she popped the 'p'. "But I sure would have liked to have seen him today."

"Oh really now," Boyd scoffed at her. "Why is that?"

"Just some guys bothering me at the park. They couldn't take a hint."

"Sounds like it went okay though," Boyd asked. "You sound okay."

"Mr. Brennan showed up," her voice got quieter. Sam leaned forward to make sure he didn't miss a word. "Luckily they were some guys that worked for his old boss, she they left."

"Really," Boyd mused. "Did he introduce you to his friends?"

"I wouldn't call them friends," she said still being quiet. "Colleagues that didn't seem to get along. The same guy I told you about from the school."

"That's weird," Boyd said looking up at Sam. They both wore a concerned look on their faces. Jimmy Rourke had made another appearance.

"It's cool though," Andy's voice filled the speaker again. "Mrs. Brennan said her husband wanted us to have a talk after dinner about what to do if I saw him again."

Both men were on high alert. Clearly something was going to happen. This could be a moment to give them the break they needed. Boyd reached for a paper on the desk and a scribbled the word "wire" on it and held it up to Sam. Sam shook his head vehemently, not thinking that this would be a good idea at the moment. He mouthed back and angry "No."

"Hey Babe," Boyd said again. "Do you know where that pin of my mom's is? My sister was asking if she could wear it for some party this weekend."

Both of them paused for a moment hoping that Andy had caught on. Boyd wishing she'd agree so he could pin the decision on her, and Sam praying desperately that she'd find that this wasn't the right time to try a wire.

"I have it, I hope I can remember it. I never wear it, hasn't felt right."

Their call was interrupted by a voice calling her.

"I've got to go, Mr. Brennan is home and wants to see me."

"Be safe," Boyd told her soberly. "Oh and Sammy says hi. You should stop by the apartment sometime and catch up with him.

"Soon."

Her voice held a promise and Sam was grateful that she didn't seem any worse for the wear. He knew he was going to be on pins and needles until he was able to speak to her again, privately, after the op. He was sure more than ever that they needed to have a very difficult discussion.


	15. Chapter 15:Explanations

_**Sorry for the delay. It has been one crazy, intense summer! I hope I still have your attention.**_

_**Nikka**_

Andy hung up on Boyd and momentarily closed her eyes, gathering her courage around her. This could be a defining moment of her op so far. Brennan could either give her something that she could report back to Boyd about, or , well, or he could have figured out that she was a cop who he had let into his home, and who had gotten close to the most precious things in his life.

If that was the way that Jamie Brennan's thoughts were headed, Andy prayed that when he was done with her, they would be able to identify her without dental records. She also hoped that it was Boyd that found her rather than one of her friends. Boyd was unemotional where she was concerned and he would think clearly and save her friends from the heart ache.

Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, Andy exhaled and made her way into the living room. Andy reached up to check that her necklace was still in place around her neck. At least Boyd would know if she activated it this time to come in with guns blazing. She was also glad that she told him in no uncertain terms would she be wearing the hideous pin that held the recording device in it.

Honestly, sometimes she thought that the man was so focused that he completely forgot to think. Wearing something that she hadn't been wearing all day would be a pretty moronic thing to do. Brennan would notice right away. He seemed to notice everything about her as if it were second nature, just like Sam.

Andy didn't have time to analyze that realization too much before she entered the living room to find Jamie Brennan alone standing with an arm braced over the fireplace staring off into space. In his hand he had a glass of amber liquid that Andy could only assume was scotch. He had a faraway look on his face that Andy had seen her own partner wear a time or two at the Penny after a rough shift.

She paused in the doorway for a moment unsure of how to proceed. Andy was sure that the pounding of her heart would alert Brennan to her presence. She had expected Maggie to be in the room with them when they had this discussion. Taking a deep breath, Andy fidgeted a bit in the doorway, but wasn't quite ready to enter the room.

"When you're young," Jamie Brennan spoke still staring into space. "When you're young and you don't have anyone to answer to, and you're just trying to find your place in this world, you do things that feel right in the moment."

Andy had jumped at the sound of his voice and hadn't moved since. Brennan neither seemed to care or even notice that he had startled his nanny and instead continued as he swirled his glass.

"I found work that gave me a rush, completely illegal, but it was the thrill of it," Brennan looked up at her for a moment holding her eyes. "What would you do Candace if you thought you'd never get caught? If you could get away with it?"

Caught slightly off guard, Andy had to pull herself together and shrug. "I don't know Mr. Brennan," she spoke hoarsely. "Probably rob a bank."

She watched as the corners of his eyes crinkled and a slight smirk made an appearance on his lips. "And why is that Candace?"

Andy shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. She didn't miss the humor in his voice. For some reason, this man seemed to get a kick out of her teasing her when she was uncomfortable. _Not unlike someone else she knew._

"Because if I robbed a bank, no one would get hurt. The banks have insurance, I wouldn't be ruining someone's life. Sure, someone would frightened for their lives, but physically everyone would be okay."

Brennan laughed a bit and pushed himself away from the mantle. He looked at her apologetically and then motioned for her to take a seat on the cream colored couch. Brennan paused for a moment brushing his hand across the sofa and then smiling.

"Maggie likes everything is white," he was still looking down at his hand against the fabric of the sofa. "She says it's clean and purifying, that it makes her feel peaceful."

He shrugged and looked up at Andy. "Me, I always preferred darker colors, blacks. It hides mistakes and anything else you might want to hide from the naked eye."

Andy met his eye and began to feel a bit uncomfortable. She wasn't really sure where this conversation was headed. Her pulse started to race and the drumming in her ears was nearly deafening. Without the conscious ability to recognize her actions, Andy began to let her eyes search out objects in the room to protect herself against Brennan with and what was her best route of escape.

"I have a past Candace," he said gruffly looking at her as she searched the room in desperation. "I'm sure my wife has alluded to it. I worked for some unpleasant people who needed unpleasant things done."

And froze, unsure of how to proceed. Her gut was telling her to be herself and be curious. She went with that feeling praying she wasn't wrong. "Like criminals."

"Like the mob," he deadpanned.

"Oh," she whispered knowing that her eyes had widened. It wasn't as if Andy didn't know the information, but still, it had shocked her that Brennan had admitted this much to her. It still made her slightly nervous. In the back of her mind, there was also this fear that he was telling her so much because he knew that she was a cop and was trying to fish her out. Andy had to shake the thought from her head as she looked up into her employer's clear blue eyes.

She cleared her through and asked in an almost whisper, "What did you do?"

Brennan's eyes never left hers as he answered. "I hurt people Candace," he paused for a moment. "And I was good at it."

Andy felt herself try to swallow a few times, until finally she managed to swallow down her fear and meet his eyes. "Did you enjoy it?"

Jamie Brennan had watched this young girl clearly terrified absorb information that would have had most people frightened out of their wits, but she just sat there, curiously asking questions that she wasn't sure she wanted answers to. Tenacious. That's the word that he'd assign to her, and in a way she reminded him so much of Maggie that he nearly smiled, but now wasn't the appropriate time.

"I didn't hate it," he said simply with a shrug.

"What changed Mr. Brennan," Andy asked as she ran her palms against her legs in an attempt to comfort herself.

For the first time since she entered the room, Jamie Brennan smiled. "I met Maggie," he replied with the smile on her face. "She has this way of seeing the best in people and forcing them to deal with it. Damn persistent little thing she is," he laughed. "A lot like you in some ways."

Andy was startled by his levity and perception. She was sure that perhaps Jamie Brennan saw more than she had ever thought possible of the notorious, although _alleged_ mob hit man. His words had startled her in a way she hadn't thought possible. How many times had Sam picked at her about her relentless faith in humanity and seeing the good in people?

Her quietness seemed to make the air crackle with tension. Jamie Brennan looked over at her again and let out a sigh.

"Mr. Rourke is part of my past Candace," he said matter of factly. "That I cannot change. He isn't supposed to be anywhere near me or mine, and that includes you as well. I'm sorry he approached you today."

Andy looked up at him quietly and shrugged. "It's okay Mr. Brennan," she tried to make a joke of it. "Not the first creepy guy to approach me, I'm sure it won't be the last."

Jamie Brennan laughed at her before shaking his head and turning serious again. "I need you to be alert when you're outside of this house. Even just in the yard. Be aware of your surroundings. If it looks or even feels funny, you get my daughter and yourself out of there."

Andy nodded as he spoke, taking in what he said. He was patient, but to the point. He wanted her to know what was at stake. In the back of her mind she was wishing Boyd had allowed her a gun, but he was too jumpy to allow her a weapon. Apparently Brennan has spidey senses for things like that.

"Candace," he said again standing when she did to leave the room. "If anything happens to you out there, when I'm not there… Look it's on me. Just please be careful. We care quite a bit about you."

Andy nodded and gave her promise that she would be careful before exiting the room. She was struck again by the similarities between Brennan and Sam. Thinking of her partner left a physical ache. She needed his reassurance more than anything right now.

When she got to her room, Andy headed straight for bed. She missed her friends and wondered if they missed her and what they were all doing. She even missed fighting with Dov about bathroom in the morning when he rushed in from Sues, and Chris being a bed hog at night.

In short. She missed her life.

** O**

Boyd was trying his best to hide his agitation as he waited at the little table for her in their designated coffee shop meeting location. McNally has refused to wear the wire last night and only texted him to confirm their meeting today and now she was late. Fifteen minutes late. She was never late.

Rubbing his hands up and down his scruffy beard, Boyd just felt the wariness that he'd been keeping at bay the past few weeks. McNally had gotten herself situated with the Brennans more quickly than he had anticipated or believed possible for her to have done. Swarek was right. The girl was good and she had been ready.

Thinking of Swarek, he almost smirked. The man had been driving him absolutely crazy with demands that he get to talk to McNally because logically there had to be something she wasn't telling him as her handler. It was driving the man a bit nuts to be cut out of his partner's life so much. When Boyd had call him on it, Swarek had simply replied that what happened was on him and that despite trusting her, this situation was volatile and it was his reassurance that put her in the middle of it all.

Boyd almost smirked at the knowledge that Sam being flustered about his partner would give him ammunition for a while to come, and he was hoping to use it to drive a wedge. Those two were oddly connected in a way he didn't understand. But what he did know was that he needed Sam undercover, and McNally thoroughly occupied and out of harm's way. She wasn't that bad to look at either so maybe he could win on all sides?

He was lost in his thoughts as McNally bustled into the coffee shop and stood in front of him. His eyes met hers and was about to tear into her when she reached for one of the coffees on the table and raised it to her mouth.

He watched with amusement as her face crumpled up in disgust and her eyes met his with an accusation.

"That's disgusting."

"That's because it was mine," he drawled. "Yours got cold because you were late, and is front of the empty chair."

Andy narrowed her eyes at him and then slid into the chair before handing Boyd his coffee back and tentatively sipping her own. Cold, like he said, but made right.

"Mrs. Brennan was insistent on dropping me off after we took her car to the shop," she murmured.

Boyd raised his eye brows at her tried his best not to scowl at her. "What did Brennan want last night?"

"To warn me about Rourke."

He stared at her for a moment trying to not blow up at her. Was she deliberately obtuse or just trying to push her buttons. No wonder Swarek was always in a mood with this woman for his partner.

"About."

Her eyebrow shot up at his tone and a smirk came to her lips. The smile that played at her lips was completely fake and she knew that he knew when she leaned forward. "He told me that he was in the mob and did some illegal things that Rourke is a part of that life and that I need to keep my guard up on outings."

Boyd sat back a bit stunned at her words. Jamie-freaking-Brennan had admitted to being in the mob. He'd never done that before and this freaking rookie didn't get it on tape. He might just kill her.

"You didn't wear the wire," he exclaimed.

She bristled and settled back in the chair clearly not ready to take his shit today.

"He didn't give me details," she snorted. "He was direct telling me he did things he regrets and that were illegal but no details."

"Is he doing it now?" Boyd knew he was pushing her buttons by being demanding but he couldn't help it, this woman was infuriating.

"No," she shook her head firmly to let him know that she meant it. Andy watched him as he threw himself back into the seat and looked dejectedly off towards the window of the café.

"How can you be so sure," he asked meeting her eyes again.

She felt her eyes slide over his face and scruffy beard to the casual way he sagged in the chair. For the first time, Andy was trying to figure Boyd out. It registered quickly that he was exhausted and bothered by this assignment and that didn't sit well with her.

"Gut feeling," she deadpanned.

Boyd's eyes snapped up to hers and he snorted, before leaning forward to plan their next move, while she wanted for Maggie Brennan to return and pick he up.

** O**

"She trusts you above everyone else," Chris Diaz said following his former training officer into the equipment room. "Even Traci, even me."

Sam stopped abruptly and while his back was still turned to the younger man behind him, he closed his eyes momentarily to collect himself before responding. When he felt his emotions were in check, Sam turned to his current adversary for his partner's affections.

"We're partners Diaz," he responded shortly. "If McNally and I can't trust each other explicitly, we can't have each other's backs. That means sometimes we get to know things about each other that no one else does. "

Chris nodded and then scratched his head. "You two even sound alike, I don't get it," he said distantly. "She said the same thing." He met the senior officer's eyes, "I need to know that she's okay."

Sam could hear the desperation in Diaz's voice and knew that if the roles were reversed, it would be in his. He spared a brief thought that this must be how he had sounded to Boyd all the times that he had asked the same questions. Sam decided that he had to give the kid something, he was suffering here too.

"She's okay."

"Is she safe," Chris asked in an almost pleading voice.

Exhaling he met the younger man's eye again. "As much as she can be undercover."

Before anymore questions could be asked, Jerry rounded the corner looking for Sam.

"Sammy," Jerry waited until his stare down had intimidated Diaz into leaving. "Boyd needs you to meet him now, something's just happened that could break your case wide open."

** O**

Her meeting with Boyd had last nearly two hours and still Maggie hadn't called Andy to see if she needed a ride back to the house yet. Not one to worry knowing that she had errands, Andy called a cab and headed home. She had been in the middle of starting dinner when Jamie Brennan arrived home.

"Hey Candace," he smiled. "Have you seen where Maggie and Gracie have gotten up to?"

She smiled enjoying his good mood. "Nope," she replied slicing the vegetables for a salad. "I took a cab home, they must still be busy running errands."

Brennan laughed at her and swiped a cucumber from the cutting board and popping it into his mouth. "Oh you mean shopping until I'm broke."

After laughing with "Candace" about Maggie's love of shopping he began asking her about the girls dropping the car off at the shop. They continued to talk until the door bell sounded. Andy excused herself to go and answer the door.

When she opened it, Andy was startled to see two uniformed police officers standing on the door step with solemn looks on their faces.

"May we speak to James Brennan," the younger of the two officers asked.

Andy looked in shock at the woman who was a few years older than herself and nodded. Before she could turn, she felt Brennan walk up behind her.

"I'm James Brennan," he said cautiously. "Maybe I help you."

"Sir," the female officer spoke up again. "May we come in and speak to you?"

Andy's stomach dropped and she had the most sudden urge to faint. She knew exactly what brought these officers to the Brennan's doorstep. She thought she was going to be sick.

** O**

**Eaap! Don't hate me for leaving it there, but I had to! I look forward to your responses, even if you hate it. Lots of stuff to get through in the next few parts!**


	16. Chapter 16: Who's to Blame

_**Thank you for all of your amazing feedback. I do apologize for any grammar issues, I can read it five times and not catch things. I apologize! I didn't expect such a visceral response to the last chapter, but I do have a plan. I promise, I always intended to go here, knowing how difficult it would be. This was difficult to right, and hopefully I did some justice to the situation despite being an amateur.**_

_**This part is quite sad, I apologize.**_

_** O**_

"May we speak to James Brennan," the younger of the two officers asked.

Andy looked in shock at the woman who was a few years older than herself and nodded. Before she could turn, she felt Brennan walk up behind her.

"I'm James Brennan," he said cautiously. "Maybe I help you."

"Sir," the female officer spoke up again. "May we come in and speak to you?"

Andy's stomach dropped and she had the most sudden urge to faint. She knew exactly what brought these officers to the Brennan's doorstep. She thought she was going to be sick.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Her hand felt heavy against the door frame and when she tried to remove it, her hand fell like a heavy weight to her side. Jamie gave her a sideways look that questioned her sudden odd behavior, but he looked quickly back at the police officers. He hadn't gone on the offensive yet, but somewhere in Andy's mind as she grappled for the reality of the situation and that fact that it wasn't David or one of the other Guns and Gangs detectives at the door. It was suddenly getting harder to swallow.

The officer's introduced themselves, they were from 27 division. Andy closed her eyes for a moment and then shut the door following her boss and the two police officers into the living room. She had barely heard Brennan asking the officers what he could do for them but it was like trying to decipher something when you were underwater.

Andy vaguely pulled herself into the conversation when she heard herself being introduced as Gracie's nanny. She caught the grim looks of the police officers and the flick of their eyes towards each other as they tried to figure out why the nanny was alone with her charge's father. The look only disgusted her and she hoped that she and Sam had never looked at each other so blatantly in a situation like this. She wanted to slap each of them up side the head.

"Mr. Brennan," the female officer began again, clearly annoyed at the distraction of Andy. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but there was an accident."

Andy's eyes shot toward Brennan to see if he grasped the severity of the situation yet. She was willing the officer to rip the band aid off quickly to end the torture of suspense before the pain began. She got her wish and the next few words were incredibly painful to hear, as the words accident made another appearance before she tuned into again and actually heard what was being said.

"... involving your wife and daughter this afternoon," the female officer's voice was steady. She looked down at her hands and then over to Andy before looking at Brennan again. "I'm sorry to have to tell you, but they didn't make it."

Brennan blinked several times and remained quiet. On the surface, it looked as if nothing happened, as if Brennan wasn't reacting to the news at all. He ignored the gasp that had escaped Andy's mouth and continued looking at the officers. The news hadn't quite registered with him yet. Andy watched eagerly for the sign that the news was sinking in.

"I'm sorry Mr. Brennan" the male officer offered. "They died at the the scene-"

"Where are they," Brennan asked in a shaking voice. His eyes were distant but moist as he looked at the male officer.

"They're um," the officer stammered. "They're at the hospital, Mr. Brennan, you can see them there to identify them and begin to make arrangements."

Andy felt her legs giving out under her. Thankfully there was a chair immediately in her vicinity for her to fall into. The world just didn't seem right. There were so many ways that this couldn't be right. She was grasping at straws as Brennan thanked the police officers on their way out.

She heard him close the door and then the strangled sob that escaped his throat followed by a thudding that made her jump. Forcing herself to move towards the noise, Andy nearly let out her own cry as she saw Brennan repeatedly striking the wall next to the door. His knuckles were becoming bloodied and he movements were agitated and furious all at the same time.

Andy stood numbly trying to absorb the situation and figure out what was happening. The world hadn't begun to make any sense. Things were all wrong, this wasn't supposed to happen. This operation was supposed to be simply a fact gathering mission, no casualties, no violence. No casualties, Andy tried to swallow down. So how was it a beautiful woman and an angelic, bubbly curly blonde haired child with her father's blue eyes were dead?

"Mr. Brennan," Andy's voice sounded shaky and foreign even to her own ears.

Andy watched as Brennan stopped hitting the door and slide down to the flood. Sobs wracked the man's body and he sat crumpled on the floor. Not knowing what else to do, Andy slid down next to him and wrapped her arms around him and let him sob. When she could wrap her head around this, she would call Boyd and demand answers.

** O**

Sam had been at the scene of the accident for over an hour. Fatalities were never an easy thing to deal with, but those involving a child always made the day infinitely more gut wrenching. Sam's mind instantly went to Andy and wondering how she was receiving the news. He knew in his gut that this situation could break her, and that wasn't something that Sam could tolerate.

Boyd had been on a war path. He wanted information, demanded to know what the hell happened and how Maggie and Gracie Brennan could have died. His foul mood had only increased when he realized the car that Maggie Brennan had died in was the same one that McNally had driven the day of her meeting with Rourke in the park.

Boyd dug his hands into his hair before exhaling and searching the sky for answers. This wasn't an accident and he could feel it in his bones. He only prayed that something came out of this and that they were able to pull through and get enough out of McNally and Brennan to move forward and bring charges against the notorious mob enforcer.

Boyd ordered the car brought to a garage and had demanded, plead, and finally called in a favor to get it looked at immediately. He thanked everything he could think of that no one had questioned him taking possession of the car as of yet. Looking over at Swarek, Boyd saw that this situation could get quite out of hand. He desperately needed to check in with McNally and form some kind of a game plan.

When Boyd was within a few feet of Swarek, his phone rang. Reaching into his pocket, he saw that it was McNally's cover phone and answered.

"Candace," he drawled out, not sure of exactly how to answer this call. "It's good to hear your voice."

Boyd ignored the way Swarek's head whipped around towards him. He was being eyed up as Swarek tried to solve the puzzle of the situation with MaNally. Boyd tried to ignore the demanding glare that Swarek leveled at him as he tried to figure out what the situation was at the Brennan household.

"Donnie," she whispered hoarsely, "Something's happened."

He heard the pain in her throat and cursed himself for the pang of guilty and worry that begin to burn in his chest. Closing his eyes, he tried to calm his mind enough to play the part of concerned lover in case Brennan was listening in.

"Candace, what's wrong?"

"I'm um-," her voice nearly broke as she stuttered. "I'm on my way to the hospital can you um, can you meet me there."

Boyd didn't have to fake the panic that over took him as spoke next. "What's wrong," he demanded. "Why are you going to the hospital?" When she she didn't answer him immediately, his anger and worry increased ten fold. "Candace what the hell happened?"

Boyd didn't care that he was making a small scene, he had an undercover operative requesting his presence at a hospital. Andy McNally was a lot of things, but he didn't put weak down as one of them. Her voice sounded broken and alien, and it did a lot of things to his composure.

"There's been an accident," she continued hollowly. "I'm okay, its Mrs. Brennan and Gracie, please come."

"Where," he asked holding a breath.

"Saint Mike's."

Boyd snapped his phone shut and exhaled loudly. Worry weighed him down and he knew his shoulders were sagging a bit. He looked up into Swarek's eyes that were burning into him with curiosity and fear.

"I don't know," Boyd answered Swarek's unspoken question. "She wants me to meet her at Saint Mike's."

As he turned to go, he felt his arm grabbed and turned to look at Swarek's hand restraining him. "Bring her back to the apartment."

"I don't know what's going," Boyd started. "I don't know what the situation is. I think she's okay though."

"Get her there," Swarek's voice left no room for argument. "I need to see her in person. That's the only way we'll know. Get her to that apartment. I'll be waiting."

** O**

The ride to the hospital had been silent. Andy drove while Brennan just looked out the window. They met the grief counselor at the front desk and then were headed down to the morgue. Brennan's responses were monosyllabic and he simply starred off into staff. Andy noted that his behavior was becoming slightly more erratic as the anger begin to boil within him. He wasn't seething yet, but he was getting there and that scared her a bit. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be there to see it when he got to this breaking point.

Andy wasn't sure if Brennan wanted her with him or if she should excuse herself. She was rooted to the spot as they were led to a small window with a curtain drawn over it from the room on the other side of the class. A door exited the room and came up to them. Andy vaguely remembered his apology and that thankfully, both Maggie and Gracie had died on impact. Painless, she thought he recalled him saying. Andy felt like her churning stomach was about to betray her.

The grief counselor asked if they were ready and at Brennan's affirmative response, the doctor excused himself and went back in the room. After about a minute the current was yanked open unceremoniously and Andy wasn't as prepared for the sight that met her eyes as she had thought she was.

On two stainless steel tables in front of the window, covered by sheets, were Maggie and Gracie Brennan. Both looking as if they were asleep with their blonde hair cascading around their shoulders and looking deathly pale. They almost looked like were sleeping with the exception of looking hollow as they laid on the table in front of them.

Brennan simply nodded before catching his breath and bracing himself against the window. Andy shut her eyes as tears began to stream down her face. The situation suddenly got real. Andy was ignoring the grief counselor offering her condolences once again as she heard Brennan ask to sit with his girls for a while.

As the door closed signaling that Brennan had entered the room, Andy heard heavy foot falls of some one running down the hallway. As the sound of the running stopped, Andy opened her eyes to see Boyd standing in front of her with a worried look on his face.

"Candace," he asked out of breath. "What happened?"

Andy watched through her tears as his eyes roamed her body. He was inventorying her appearance, trying desperately to find a clue in her crumpled clothes and tear streaked face. At her nod towards the window, he turned his questioning gaze to the scene playing out before them.

Jamie Brennan was leaning over the table brushing his daughter's hair away from her face and peppering her face with light kisses before resting his forehead against her little face. They watched as he struggled with his new reality, chest heavy. He repeated the process with his wife. After several minutes of clam, the anger unleashed itself. Brennan flung a chair across the room causing a deafening clatter. They watched again as Brennan collapsed on top of Maggie before seeing his body wracking with sobs.

Andy jumped and let out a small cry before new tears began to cascade down her cheeks. This situation was gut wrenching and simply terrifying and devastating. She was struggling to remain upright and contain the sobs that were threatening to overtake her. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and felt herself being tugged into Donovan Boyd's chest as he tried his best to console her.

They remained that way for some time. Andy struggling not to cry, while Boyd held her to him in a tight embrace. This situation was completely new to both of them and beyond their comfort levels, yet it was the only comfort that they had that some thing could be salvaged from the situation. It was the only normal at the moment.

Brennan was suddenly beside them taking in the scene for a moment. "Take her home tonight," he voice was broken and deathly serious at the same time.

"Mr. Brennan, I um," Andy stuttered over her words trying to clear the fog. "I should come with you so you're not alone."

Brennan firmly shook his head and looked at her with a deadly glare. "No, be with each other tonight. I need to be alone."

Andy was about to protest again when Boyd interjected saying that he would take her home for tonight. They would call tomorrow to see if was okay for her to come back. Andy looked over her shoulder as Boyd let her away. She watched feeling suddenly very heavy as Brennan turned to go back into the room with the bodies of his wife and daughter.

** O**

Sam was having an incredibly difficult time dealing with the situation. Pacing a hole in the floor of the apartment, he was going over the details of the night. The accident had been typical, besides the fact that there was no clear reason for what happened. He had chalked it up to just being bad luck or unexplainable, but thrown Brennan and hell even McNally into the mix and he it was enough to make his head spin.

He rubbed his temples trying to focus on the facts.

Fact: Maggie and Gracie Brennan were killed in tonight.

Fact: McNally was alive and not involved.

Fact: They didn't know whether or not Brennan reacting stably or if this had pushed him over the edge.

Fact: They knew that McNally was alive, but now how she was, what the news did to her, or if she was safe from Brennan.

While Sam knew the general facts were in his favor, the only one he could cling to was that his partner was alive. Not knowing what emotional state she was in, how she was coping, or if Brennan had hurt her in some way after hearing the news was killing him.

He looked up at the clock and swore again. It had been nearly three hours since McNally had called Boyd. No word for three God-damned hours and he was starting to lose it. He knew it was irrational, but, Sam just needed to lay his own eyes on his partner, need to put his hands on her in some way to see that she was really okay.

Sam Swarek made a vow to himself in that moment that when they got through this situation, when she okay again, he was going to force himself to talk to her. Good or bad, regardless of the consequences, he needed to get a few things off of his chest and she needed to know, even if it meant that he lost her. He stopped his pacing long enough to let out a sarcastic laugh before pacing again. This whole hiding his feelings from her had been his way to ensure that she stayed in his life. He wondered at the irony of the universe that would lead him to that conclusion.

When this situation was resolved, he was going to tell Andy McNally that he loved her and the consequences were going to be damned. All the cards on the table. He just needed her to be okay before he laid something that big at her feet.

His pacing stopped as he heard a key in the lock. Before he could register his movements, Sam was across the room stepping in front of the door as Andy was guiding through by Boyd. Her face was tear stained and devoid of emotion. Sam felt himself crumble a bit at her being so broken. Leave it to Andy McNally to fall in love with the family that she had been sent to infiltrate. He cursed Boyd for having put her in this situation and he cursed himself for allowing her to get hurt in a way that hurt far deeper than physical pain.

Andy stopped abruptly as she entered the apartment and came face to face with Sam. She looked at him as the tears in her eyes threatened to spill over. She choked out a sob as she looked at Sam but stood still in the doorway to the apartment. Knowing that Boyd was standing right behind her did nothing to propel her forward.

After a few moments of trying to get her mouth working, Andy began to speak in a hoarse voice, "Sam I'm fi-"

"If you say you're fine McNally," Sam said shortly, "I'll strangle you with my shoe lace."

Andy shut her mouth quickly and in another situation, that might have been comical. She let out a startled grunt as she took in his raised eyebrow, daring her to mutter the words, "I'm fine."

The strangled noise that emanated from her throat, bubbled over to a bitter laugh before hand propelled herself forward into Sam's embraced. Sam let out an "oof" as she collided with him, but he eagerly wrapped her in his embrace he felt her body give way to the sobs he knew she'd been holding in. He looked over his partner's head to see Boyd motion to his phone and leave the room headed towards one of the bedrooms down the hall under the guise of giving them some privacy.

After was seemed like hours, Andy calmed and pulled back in his arms and started sniffling. He bent his knees to catch her eye and only straitened when she met his gaze.

"It's not fair Sam," her voice was hoarse and angry. "It's not fair. A little girl and her mother who by all accounts is a freaking saint are dead! DEAD! And there's nothing I can do about it besides feel guilty that it's all because of me."

Sam watched as Andy distanced herself from him and began gesturing around. It was clear that Andy had fallen in love with Gracie Brennan and next to her being hurt, that was Sam's biggest fear in her operation. Andy McNally loved all things, especially children and puppies. He had to force himself not to physically hurt Boyd for putting her in a situation designed for heart break months ago when she started this. Hearing her place the blame on herself nearly drove him to distraction.

Sam took a menacing step towards her causing Andy to back up into the door behind her. He stopped when her back was pressed firmly against the door and his body was all but touching hers. Sam reached forward and slid his hands up her neck to her chin, before tilting her face up to look in to his. When she tried to pull her chin out of his grip and look away, he roughly grabbed her chin and pulled her face up to his.

"Look at me Andy," he knew he startled her with the use of her first name when her eyes widened, but he needed her to believe him. "This is _not_ your fault. You did not do this, do you hear me?"

The partners stared at each other, each daring the other to make the next move. When it looked like she was about to speak again, Sam cut her off in an angry tone, "This. Is. Not. Your. Fault."

He watched as she closed her eyes, allowing a few more tears to roll down her cheeks and then shake her head before opening her eyes to look at him.

"Okay," she whispered.

Sam searched her face for a moment before seeing that she wasn't blaming herself at the moment, and that was a small victory that he would have to take. He pulled her towards him and hugged her again. After letting out a deep breath, Sam pulled her down the hall towards the bedrooms. At her reluctance, Sam looked at her.

"Bed McNally," he said softly. "We'll be in a better place to handle this after some sleep. You need to rest."

Andy nodded to Sam and let him lead her down the hallway towards a bedroom in her fake apartment. They heard Boyd on the phone in the room next door. His voice ebbed and flowed as he demanded answers and listened to for the responses. Sam flipped the light on and pulled back the covers for Andy to crawl in. Pulling the covers back over her, he leaned down to kiss her forehead and turned to go.

"You'll be okay McNally," he said making to leave the room.

"Sam," she called out.

"Yeah McNally," he said tiredly turning towards her.

"Stay?"

He pondered the wisdom of abiding by her one request and then nodded and made her way back to her and the bed. He crawled in, under the covers that she was holding up and slid in beside her. She turned turned to rest her head on his chest and it wasn't long before she allowed her tears to overtake her. There was nothing for Sam to say or do besides hold her as she cried and know that she trusted him with her breakdown. Tomorrow they would deal with the consequences of the accident, tonight they would just lie here, together.

_**I hope you guys don't hate me for this, and for those of you who saw it coming, I'm sorry I was so obviously. This was my intended path the whole time, but there is a reason. I hope you stick with me and see what it is.**_

_**Nikka**_


	17. Chapter 17: Guilt and Exits

Morning arrived finding Sam deep in thought as he absentmindedly traced his fingers down his partner's exposed arm. Last night, she had asked him to stay with her. Little did she know that there was nothing that Sam wouldn't try to give to her, so, against his better judgment, he had curled up in bed beside her and held her. Sam didn't know it at the time that he acquiesced to her nearly pleading request, but he needed to hold her as much as she needed to be held.

The tears started just as he had gotten comfortable securing her back to his chest and pulling her closer with his arm. At first there were no initial signs of the tears that had fallen from her eyes except the wetness of the pillow near his hand. Sam pulled himself closer to her, allowing his body to mold against her curled form just as the sobs began to wrack her body.

He had repeated the phrases "It's going to be okay" and "I'm here, we'll get through this" with such a reverence, he prayed that she took his words to heart. At some point, Andy had flipped so that she could face him and cling to him for support. Sam knew that she needed to get all of this emotion out before it ate her alive. Knowing that words wouldn't be sufficient, he simply held her, not caring that his shirt was soaked to his skin from her tears or that her face was puffy from crying, he was simply grateful that he was what she needed right now.

Now in the early light of morning, he prayed that it was his presence that she wanted and not merely tolerated in the absence of someone else. Andy had apologized several times throughout the night for her tears and being so needy, but when he asked her if he should go, give her space, she vehemently shook her head and told him she wanted him with her. Sam desperately wanted to take that as a sign, but he just couldn't force the words from his mouth. He was still terrified of her rejection or worse that she would say yes in a moment of weakness and fear.

Emotions were running at an all time high for Sam at the moment, but the one thing he knew he couldn't do was get some space to try and give himself perspective. Andy needed him to be there for her right now. He wasn't completely sure how it happened, but Sam knew that Andy looked to him for guidance in situations that she'd never been in before. While normally that made pride swell in his chest that she trusted and valued his opinion so much, right now it made him feel hollow. When his ops had gone bad, someone got hurt, but being emotional about it was never an issue, and the victims were never innocent. The only thing that Sam Swarek knew now was that he'd never been here before, but he was going to be by his partner's side until she got through this, whether she wanted him there or not.

Sam felt an almost imperceptible shift in her breathing and knew from the deep breath she took that she was waking up. For a moment his hands stilled as they rubbed up and down her arms, but then began the familiar comforting pattern again. Andy's initial movements and stretching seemed to stop immediately as she realized where she was.

"It wasn't a dream then," her hoarse voice asked causing him to momentarily still his hands again.

"No," he responding hesitating a bit before continuing to rub her arms that had felt chilly to him. When she remained silent, Sam knew that she had begun to over think the situation. He felt his heart break again for her pain.

"Maggie wanted to run the errands yesterday, she said I should enjoy some quiet time," her voice shook as she talked. There was a slight gasp for breath as she continued, "She said that I looked tried and worried and could use the time for myself."

Without really thinking, Sam pulled her a bit closer to him. This situation was completely foreign to him. Sure he'd like some of the people that he'd worked with while he was undercover, maybe cared a bit about them, Emily came to mind, but he'd never cared quite like this. He knew that his partner was sensitive, just like he knew that she would carry the weight of the world on her shoulders and not complain if it made things easier for those around her. The woman he'd some to know over the last two years was fierce, heroic even, and the epitome of strength for all the shitty hands she'd been dealt in life. Seeing her breaking down like this both terrified him and sparked all of his protective instincts into over drive in equal measure.

"It's my fault Sam," she said gasping for air trying to pull away. "I was too preoccupied trying to get a meet with Boyd." She hiccuped a bit and spoke so quickly that he nearly missed it. "It should have been me. I should have di-"

Hearing the words of blame and guilt tumble out her mouth frightened Sam to depth he hadn't quite thought possible. When she tried to articulate her belief that she should have died instead of Maggie, he thought he would loose his mind.

In motion so quick neither had time to fully register, Sam propped himself up on his elbow and tugged her towards him so that she was almost directly under him. He supported himself on his arms so that he didn't crush her as he looked down at her broken features. "Don't."

Andy looked up at him in a bit of momentary shock. She heard the warning in his voice as his features showed his concern despite his attempt to maintain a calm demeanor. "Sam, it's true."

Sam shook his head violently and felt him bend his elbows to lower himself a bit to her. He met her eyes with a steely determination that she rarely saw directed fully on her. His expression was thunderous and she'd seen it a few times in the past, but she usually was the sole focus of that glare. It made her want to squirm.

"Don't you ever say it should have been you," he voice was low and slightly harsh, but his eyes betrayed his concern. "You aren't aloud to check out on me or blame yourself. It was never supposed to be you that died today."

"Sam," her voice cracked again as she took in his face. Andy couldn't bring herself to look away from the intensity of his eyes despite the tears is was threatening to bring out again.

"Enough," he said gruffly. "It wasn't supposed to be you. It could _never_ have been you."

Andy let out a small gasp at his words trying to decipher his meaning when there was a knock at the door. Instinctively, they both knew it was Boyd, but he had uncharacteristically remained on the other side of the door and not barged in.

Sam finally broke eye contact with Andy swearing softly under his breath as he moved away from her. Even as she watched him cross the room, Andy missed his closeness, yet she was slightly grateful for the distance. It gave her time to think without his closeness clouding her mind.

**oOoOoOo**

"Just make sure that it's done, we can't have this coming back to bite us in the ass. This op is too important." Boyd paced through the living room and glanced at the clock. It was almost 10:00am and still Swarek and McNally hadn't stirred from the bedroom. Boyd was getting frustrated, he needed Sammy's head in the game, and he needed McNally to finish her job. The accident, while unfortunate, could blow his entire case wide open and give him the opportunity to take down Brennan.

Instead of preparing his UC op for the final stages of her role, Boyd was on the phone dealing with an ambitious officer out of the 27th division. He almost wanted to strangle her. His temper was barely being contained.

Nearing the bedroom door, Boyd paused for a moment before knocking firmly on the door. He didn't hear any noises coming from the room, but he wasn't about to go in for all the tea in China. Boyd wasn't sure what he would see if he opened that door, but he sure as hell hoped that this incident hadn't pushed Swarek into finally sleeping with McNally because he had a feeling that the girl would be completely useless to the mission after that. He did however hope that it happened soon so that Swarek could get her out of his system.

Turning to go, Boyd smirked to himself not hearing the words of the officer chatting his ear off in hushed tones. McNally had fire in her, and while he wouldn't forget what it was like to have her close by or her lips pressed against his, he was confident that Sam's curiosity would be satisfied and they'd be able to move him in his position quickly. Let her go back to Diaz until things settled down.

Catching the last little bit of the threat that the officer hurled at him, Boyd allowed his voice to drip with venom. "Bury that goddamn report or you'll work desk until you decide to quit," he paused listening to the response. "You want to make detective sweet heart, you need to take one for the team."

Getting the answer he wanted, Boyd smiled and clicked his phone shut just as Sam closed the door to the bedroom. Boyd surveyed his colleague's appearance and decided that he couldn't make heads or tails of what had transgressed between the partners other than the fact that Sam looked even more brooding than usual.

"How's McNally doing," Boyd asked cautiously. He watched as Sam scrubbed his face with his hands before sitting down on the chair in the living area and lean forward with his elbows on his knees.

"Blaming herself and trying to convince the world that she's fine," he answered flatly.

"She needs to be ready to go back in," Boyd spoke up again. "This could be the catalyst to the entire take down."

Sam's head snapped in Boyd's direction as his eyes narrowed. Despite speaking evenly, his clenched fists on his knees were a pretty good indicator that he was getting upset with Boyd. "This op is dead end. Putting her back there puts her at unnecessary risk."

"She's done well so far Sammy," Boyd contended. "She's surpassed everyone of my expectations. Brennan likes her. She's familiar to him, closer than some of his long time employees. Maybe in the aftermath he'll turn to her for-"

"You're not putting her in that situation," Sam nearly roared standing up to his full height. "She's not a valentine op, she's not going to conveniently fall into Brennan's bed to comfort him for the sake of this op. That's not how McNally works! That's not how this department works!"

Immediately, Boyd could see that he had approached this conversation from the completely wrong angle. Swarek would never allow McNally to seduce Brennan despite the potential for her to move into a deep cover operation that could make her entire career. He was her protector and as much as it annoyed Boyd, there was a part of him that was grateful to Swarek. Without him, Boyd knew that he would be able to find some way to manipulate McNally into seducing Brennan, but he feared that in the long run it would break her. Boyd tried to clamp down on the feeling of dismay at the thought of an emotionally broken Andy McNally.

"It was just a thought Sammy," he mumbled looking away.

"A lousy one," was the simple retort from Swarek.

"We have to send her back in Sam," Boyd said without apology. "Don't look at me like that, we both know what could happen if she doesn't go back."

Sam shook his head for a bit trying to make sense of his internal struggle. "I'm not sure we have to," he said uncertain of himself. "She could just fade away, scared. Play it that she ran back to Wisconsin because she was scared and upset."

Boyd scratched his head before shaking it firmly. His gut told him to put her back it. It was a life or death situation if they gambled on this. Brennan had an uncanny ability to tie up loose ends.

"If she doesn't go back in," he said firmly. "Brennan could smell a rat. We both know what could happen if he starts to suspect that McNally is a cop. She's on his freaking home turf, he'll find her and I'm not taking that risk. It could be months but you know he'll find her. I'm not willing to take that risk. Are you?"

Before he could answer, his partner's voice broke the tension in the room.

"He's right Sam," Andy said from the hallway. She watched as both men turned towards her with looks of disbelief. "I can't run from this, I have to go back and finish this."

Sam closed the distance between them in four quick strides. He stood in front of her effectively blocking Boyd from her line of vision. He looked searchingly at her before asking, "Are you sure McNally?"

Andy felt herself nod her head before she found her voice. "Yes."

She felt uneasy as soon as Sam nodded back at her and took a step back. "Okay," he said in a gravelly voice taking a step back to create more distance between them. "Let's get you prepped."

**oOoOoOoOoO**

Andy let herself into the Brennan's house using her spare key and took a tentative step into the foyer. The house had an eerie silence about it now, and where it had seemed a homey, comforting environment before, now it seemed like a tomb not meant to be disturbed. As she wondered a bit further into the house, Andy could feel her heart rate accelerating. She reached for the necklace that Sam had insisted she wear in case any thing happened. All it would take is a push of her fingers and she would have an extraction team here in two minutes. Sam and Boyd had been adamant in their reassurances that the team would be within a 1 mile radius of her throughout the remainder of the op.

She felt her stomach drop a bit as she realized the silence of the house wasn't because its occupants were out running errands, but rather that two of the occupants would never again romp through the interior of the house. A noise startled Andy and she spun to see Jamie Brennan leaning over the kitchen counter with a bottle of whiskey and a glass in his hand. She approached him cautiously, not wanting to spook him.

"Mr Brennan," she called out in a soft voice.

When he didn't turn to look at her, she tried again a bit more loudly this time. Andy watched as he straightened up and slid his eyes over her. For a moment, neither spoke. Both quietly assessing the other one unsure of what to say.

"You're back Candace," Brennan said simply.

Andy felt herself blush and looked down at her feet before bringing her eyes up to meet his again. "Should I not have come back?"

The loud clank of the glass smacking roughly against the granite counter top nearly made her jump as Brennan let out a heavy sigh. He looked over his daughter's nanny, the position was completely obsolete and unnecessary now, but this girl had become apart of his family.

"This is your home Candace," he told her. "You can stay as long as you need or want to. I don't think I'll be completely ready to run away from the memories for a while yet."

If she was asked later, Andy could even have begun to formulate a response or even a justification for the words that tumbled out her mouth next. Her only thought, even as she was saying them was that Sam would have probably throttled the life out of her if he heard her words at that moment.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Brennan," she nearly sobbed. "It's all my fault. They're gone and it's all my fault!"

Andy watched with growing anxiety and Brennan's face registered shock at her words, then contorted to anger, and then was replaced by a blank mask that terrified her. She swallowed thickly and wondered why she got herself into these situations and why she couldn't just keep her mouth shut sometimes.

"What do you mean Candace," he questioned in a voice devoid of emotion.

She hesitated a moment unsure of how to continue. The expressionless face and cold glint to his eyes told Andy that she was treading some very dangerous waters and she needed her wits about her. Blinking back the tears in her eyes or trying to at any rate, she began trying to explain.

"I should have insisted on running the expands," she said quickly, speaking so quickly her words were nearly a blurr. "I should have insisted on doing to the errands myself and let Maggie stay at home with Gracie or I should have kept Gracie. I shouldn't have been preoccupied with what's going on with Donny and whether or not he was going to call. I -"

"This wasn't your fault," he said cutting her off. When she was about to speak again, she was silenced by his stern look and the raised eyebrow that told her the subject was clearly closed.

When she would have spoken again, Brennan cut her off pushing a glass towards her and then filling it with whiskey.

"The funeral is in two days Candace," he said nonchalantly in a hollow voice. "Maggie and Gracie would've wanted you to be there."

Andy nodded absentmindedly and fingered the glass. "Wouldn't be anywhere else."

He nodded and refilled his own glass before sipping it. The pair remained quietly drinking their glasses of whiskey for until it was time to pour the next glass. Andy looked over at him not knowing if what she was going to say would upset him, but she knew from Sam's pounding it in her head that she needed to develop a believable exit strategy.

"I've called my dad," she said quietly but firmly. "He wants me to come home. Wants to make up for some of our lost time."

Brennan slid his gaze over to Andy's face and stared at her in an assessing manner. "Do you think that's wise after he pushed you out of his life?"

Andy shrugged imagining that that is what Candace would have done. She knew that she needed a way out of this situation that wouldn't give James Brennan a reason to search her out.

"After all of this," she said motioning around the room. "I want to try. People can change. I owe it to my dad and myself to find out if we can salvage our relationship."

Brennan finished his glass of whiskey before setting it down on the counter top again. "Just be careful Candace," he cautioned. "You tend to believe the best in people like Maggie. I don't want you hurt or worse."

She nodded and went back to staring off into space. Andy wasn't sure how long they sat there, or how many times he had refilled her glass, but the bottle of whiskey was soon empty.

"So back to insurance when you go home," Brennan asked with a slight slur on his speech.

Andy felt herself nodding even as her head was telling her it was a bad idea to do so. "It's a job and it's safe. All evaluating the risks and learning how to avoid them."

"Well," Brennan spoke blandly. "Don't go avoiding all the risks. That's what makes life worth living. That's how I fell in love with Maggie."

Andy nodded and watched him head upstairs. When she finally made it up to her room, Andy was grateful for the effects of the alcohol. She knew that she would have horrific nightmares tonight and this time, she wouldn't have Sam to help comfort her and lull her back into sleep.

Andy exhaled loudly and wondered why every time that something went wrong, Sam was there. The more troubling question she had was wondering why it was _only_ Sam that could put her ease even when he didn't have a clue how to fix it. Andy fell into an uneasy sleep praying that her extraction would go off without a hitch.

**OooOoOoOoO**

_**I apologize for the huge delay in posting this chapter. I was about half way done with it, when I got some upsetting news from my doctor and it took some time to get my head on straight. I will be having surgery in a few weeks and hopefully that will come back with the news I want and the whole affair will be over and a thing of the past. My fiance has decided I need my mind taken off of it before I stress out anymore without really knowing anything, so I will be trying to soak up the sun on a vacation... but he has graciously promised me some time to write while he does some guy things. **_

_**Thanks for each of you has stuck through this story... in my plans we are only at the halfway point... but I'm thinking about wrapping it up and maybe making a part two? What do you think? Your feedback is instrumental!**_

_**Discliamer (because I haven't said it in a while) I don't own anything, just playing with some ideas in my head!**_

_**Nikka**_


	18. Chapter 18: Loose Ends

_**Well, here's the next installment. If you only knew how much trouble this and the next chapter caused me you will laugh. I lost this chapter 3 times and in a fit of pouting, refused to work on it for a couple weeks out of sheer frustration at loosing half of it only to have a Windows update occur during the re-write and crash my work again. I now save literally every two seconds!**_

_**I hope you're interest is still peeked… and I am moving quickly to get the next few chapters up in a more timely fashion as well as working some other additions.**_

_**And for the well wishers, thank you! My surgery went extremely well. Test results came back and it's not cancer, so I am extremely grateful! Just under periodic observation for the next few months or so!**_

_**Nikka**_

_** O**_

Letting her go back into Brennan's home when the man was no doubt unstable after the loss of his wife and daughter was one of the hardest things Sam Swarek had ever had to do in his life. She stood listening to Boyd talk her through the plan with her back straight, posture seemingly at ease, her full attention on the task at hand, but her eyes gave her away. There was fear there and as much as Sam hated her being afraid, he couldn't help but feel grateful that she had the sense to be afraid of going back into a risky situation.

She had told him firmly that she had to go back in, that she couldn't just leave, because if she did and Brennan was guilty, and if he faltered fro, 'cleaned up' life, her not going back in would jeopardize any future operations that could get him for the murders that the Toronto PD was angling for in her own op. A part of Sam didn't want to tell her that no matter the outcome, Boyd had already talked him in going under after Brennan, the entire situation just seemed a cluster fu-.

Sam had shaken those thoughts from his head as listened to Boyd and Andy discussing how she would explain her absence the night of Maggie and Gracie Brennan's deaths. They had even begun to plan out her exit strategy which Sam was more grateful for then anyone could have surmised.

The one blight on the exit strategy was Diaz's constant need to check in with him on Andy. Sam gritted his teeth and tried to remain calm. It was getting harder not to acknowledge that there was something going on between Diaz and his – between Diaz and McNally. Right now, he couldn't afford to focus on that, he needed, desperately needed to focus to help Andy get out of this situation without Brennan getting suspicious.

All of these events led to this moment. Sam hunched in the back of a surveillance van with David and another of the GnG team while Boyd played the consoling boyfriend to Andy at the double funeral. Andy had held up remarkably well, and even insisted on staying to help Jamie Brennan through the situation. While he hadn't been able to make contact with her since the morning after the accident, Boyd had given away little beyond that she was okay and that Brennan hadn't been acting erratically.

Sam had been watching the monitors diligently trying to make sure that there wouldn't be any trouble at the graveside service. None of the GnG members had missed the various mob bosses and their associates who had made an appearance at the church service and now the cemetery. The team had been busy trying to make a note of where everyone was, who they arrived with, who they sat with. Sam's focus was somewhat split as he made a concerted effort to keep his eye on Boyd and Andy sitting front row next to Jamie Brennan.

As the service ended and the guests began to leave, Andy remained looking over to Boyd with a sympathetic look and felt him squeeze her hand. Boyd wasn't sure that he wanted her to stay, but he knew that arguing with Andy McNally would get him nowhere, especially if she decided to get stubborn and dig her heels in. He almost had to hand it to her, McNally knew that they couldn't afford a scene in front of the mourners at the Brennan funeral, so here he was, Donovan Boyd, taking his ques from a rookie.

He nodded at her and gave her a bit of space but decided not to let it be too much. Reaching for his cell phone, he called Swarek wanting to be sure that the team was focused on documenting all of the different parties present at the funeral in the hopes of getting new leads on several cases. He dialed the number and studiously tried to avoid looking back at McNally on the hillside gravesite with Brennan.

"Yea," Swarek's gruff voice answered the phone.

"It was very well attended," Brennan spoke to Swarek in code in case anyone happened to over him. "Lots of faces to take in."

"Yup," came the crude reply. "We're on it. No one goes unaccounted for today."

Boyd cold tell from Swarek's crisp tone that he was none too impressed with Boyd having left his partner at the hillside gravesite with Brennan. He was almost about to tease Swarek about his constant need to be overprotective of this rookie, but he decided that a moody Swarek wasn't very much fun to deal with and Sammy had the best eyes and ears for situations like these.

"Something going on with our girl," Sam asked Boyd as Sam watched her on the monitors as she talked to Brennan.

"You know her," Boyd huffed. "She wants to make everything easier for everyone and feel better." He was doing his utmost not to stare her down, but when turned to look at her, Boyd nearly started at the sight of Jimmy O'Rourke and two other men flank him as they approached McNally and Brennan. Boyd turned quickly away speaking anxiously into the phone.

"Sammy are you seeing what I'm seeing," Boyd exclaimed.

"Yeah, I am," Sam replied leaning closer to the monitor. He could feel his heart beat start to race as he saw the scene at the grave. "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know," Boyd deadpanned. "Make sure we get this. I don't want this getting out of hand."

Boyd tried to remain casual and not look at her, but at the same time wishing that this little tete-tete was over quickly.

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

"It's almost all over Candace," Brennan's deadened voice broke the silence. He felt her eyes shift over to him in confusion. "Tomorrow, everyone is going to expect normality. The time to freely mourn what's been lost is over."

Andy felt herself try to swallow as she tried to make herself sound more reassuring than she felt. The entire situation was awkward at best, but this part of her that saw the good in Jamie Brennan couldn't let herself leave without trying to make it better. "No expects you to just move on, to forget. No expects you to be normal tomorrow. It's going to take time."

Jamie let out a strangled laugh at her words and almost wanted to thank her for making him laugh at this moment, but he was interrupted by a menacing voice that had no business being this close to the resting place of his wife and daughter.

"Isn't that sweet," Jimmy O'Rourke's voice broke the somber moment increasing the tension in the air tenfold. "I bet your dearly departed wife would find it so reassuring that you have the nanny by your side to comfort you while you grieve."

Andy sucked in an involuntary breath as she felt indignation rise in her chest. The man had some serious audacity to approach Brennan with accusations at the funeral of his wife and daughter. Andy had to fight to keep her eyes on the men in front of her employer rather than looking for Boyd or worse towards the surveillance team. She inwardly cursed herself for needed Sam's reassurance when the situation became difficult.

Brennan's thinly controlled anger was beginning to surge through the air causing chills to race up her spin. Since the accident, Jamie Brennan had been withdrawn and difficult to engage. He was angry, but he had always been in check so far.

Andy watched as he stepped in front on her blocking her view of Jimmy O'Rourke who was wearing a smug grin and clearly not at all perturbed by the situation brewing. There was a few moments of silence and from Andy could surmise, a stare down was going down between the two men. In a move that surprised her, O'Rourke moved to look her in the eye over Brennan's shoulder.

"Does your boyfriend know your screwing your boss sweetheart?"

Andy felt the heat of an angry blush explode over her skin and knew that the look on her face clearly betrayed all of her anger at the moment. This man had added insult to injury by showing up at the funeral of Maggie and Gracie Brennan, and now he was throwing around baseless accusations to try and get a rise out of Brennan. She watched feeling the anger bubble in her chest, but she somehow kept her composure and her mouth shut. Mouthing off or showing a reaction wouldn't be helpful to the situation at all.

"Do you have any respect at all O'Rourke," Brennan asked, his voice dangerously low. "You couldn't stay away on this day of all days? Then you harass the woman who my wife and I employ simply for being here?"

"Touchy Jamie," O'Rourke grinned at him meeting Brennan's eyes. "Wouldn't Maggie be proud of your chivalry?"

Brennan's only reaction was rolling his head about his neck before staring down O'Rourke and his two henchmen that flanked him. Andy felt the tension in the air as a dangerous mood enveloped them. She didn't dare breathe for fear of unknowingly starting a confrontation that was sure to spark violence.

"You go too far Jimmy," Brennan's eerily clam voice broke the uncomfortable silence. "You disrespect my family and the pact I have with your employer."

Andy watched with disdain as Jimmy O'Rourke's eyes flicked over to the freshly covered graves beside this little group. The man clearly didn't care that just a few feet away, a woman and a little girl were just laid to rest. Her eyes flicked back to the men in front of her and Brennan.

"Your family is dead," O'Rourke said crassly. "The pact is void. You have debts Jamie and I'm here to remind you of those."

"I'm done. This changes nothing Jimmy. Remind your boss of that," Brennan spat at him.

O'Rourke's smirked at Brennan and allowed his hand to push his suit jacket aside to reveal a gun at his waist. Andy felt herself go instantly into high alert and before she could stop it, her eyes darted down the hill searching for Boyd and the surveillance van behind him in the lessening line of cars. Boyd was on his phone and facing the van, clearly having a conversation with the team. From this distance, he looked tense, almost like he was trying not to turn around and see what was happening behind him.

"You really aren't that smart are you," Brennan countered, narrowing his eyes at O'Rourke and his men. "Look around you. The wife and daughter of a notorious mob enforcer die and you think this funeral goes unwatched?"

Andy couldn't control the gasp that escaped her mouth as every fiber of her body came alive alerting her to be ready for eminent danger. She prayed that her reaction wouldn't draw any suspicion. Before she could stop herself, her eyes were darting around to the leaving crowd trying to discern if anyone blatantly screamed police officer. When her eyes settled on O'Rourke and his men, she saw that they had done the same thing.

"Perhaps you're right Jamie," he responds acidly before his cold eyes bore into Brennan. "We can discuss this at a more opportune time."

The man had the audacity to look over Brennan's shoulder at Andy and shirk at her as he allowed his eyes to wander over her body before looking her in the eye with a leering glint and then back at Brennan again.

"Maybe you'll even bring your girl along with you when we talk," he smirked at Brennan's rising ire. "She sure is something to look at."

"Leave us be," came the retort that left no room for argument.

Brennan remained watching O'Rourke and his men leave, and when he was satisfied there would be no further incident, he turned towards Andy. The anger at the intrusion hadn't left him yet as he looked at her and then when a hand on her arm he turned her towards the remaining cars down the small hill.

"Don't be afraid Candace," Brennan said calmly. "Maybe it's time I explained my entire past."

Andy could barely contain her disbelief at his words as she tried her best to remain calm as they walked towards Boyd. "I know enough."

Brennan looked at her and sent her a small smile. "Maybe, but know you need to know enough to protect yourself."

Andy didn't get a chance to ask him anything else as they had reached Boyd who had turned to look at them. He offered her a small smile of his own that looked more like a grimace.

"I'll see you both at the restaurant," Brennan said as they stopped in front of Boyd. "Thank you for coming today Don. Maggie would have liked that you were here with Candace today."

Andy stood with Boyd and allowed him to pull her into him as they watched Brennan leave. When he was out of earshot, the pair turned towards their own car, Andy tucked under Boyd's arm.

"Tell me you saw that up by the grave," Andy hissed at him.

"Yup," Boyd's gruff voice deadpanned. "We got it."

Andy felt herself involuntarily suck in a breath. "He warned me. Wants me to be on guard," she rushed to get out. "He wants to tell me why I should be afraid of O'Rourke and his presence."

Boyd stopped abruptly and then looked down at her cradled against his side. The shock was clearly betrayed on his face. "Are you serious McNally? Because if you're playing with me right now -"

"His words. Not mine," she countered looking at him earnestly.

He began walking towards the car again with a slight smile on his face despite himself. "I could kiss you right now McNally."

"Try it," she threatened with a dangerous smile on her face, "and I'll make you doubt you can have children someday!"

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

It had been nearly two weeks since Maggie and Gracie Brennan's funeral and Andy felt her time running out. The game plan was that Candace would fly back home to Minnesota to try and reconnect with her dad after a few weeks. She and Brennan had fallen into routine that while comfortable, wasn't entirely easy.

She had escaped the house to pick up a few groceries and items that would last him for a few weeks if he bothered to try and take care of himself after she left in a few days. They had vaguely discussed her leaving sometime next week, but Boyd hadn't been firm on an exit date yet.

Andy was consumed in her thoughts as she went to the trunk of her car to get some of the grocery bags out and didn't pay attention to the car that pulled up behind hers. She vaguely thought that Brennan had returned home and so her attention wasn't necessarily crucial. When a voice she recognized as being entirely unwelcome spoke behind her, Andy inwardly thanked her lucky stars that Sam wasn't present to see her inattention. He might never stop chewing her out.

"Fancy meeting you here and alone Candace," Jimmy O'Rourke drawled. He seemed amused at her startled expression and the manner in which she spun to meet him.

"You're not supposed to be here," Andy countered, hoping her voice sounded calm and unaffected.

"You're feisty aren't you," O'Rourke laughed at her. "We could have so much together Candace."

Andy felt her heart race as the man crowded into her personal space. The stench of his musky cologne hit her nostrils nearly causing her to vomit between the smell and her nerves. Still, she was determined not to show any ounce of fear and met his physical intimidation with defiance and an upturned chin. She wasn't going to back down, even if her mind raced with all the ways that this could go badly.

"Not a shot."

O'Rourke's face became menacing at her displeasure. "We'll see about that Candace," he snarled at her. "Let's see how much Brennan wants you once I'm tainted you."

Andy couldn't control her reaction and shrunk back from him hating the amusement she saw in his face as she did. The man in front of her was disgusting, he loved to dominate, and he would do it to her by force if he could.

"You go too far O'Rourke," Brennan's voice boomed from behind her.

Andy nearly collapsed from relief hearing Brennan's voice behind her. She wasn't alone to deal with this man anymore and the relief was tremendous. Brennan's anger on the other hand was nearly as unsettling and for the first time, Andy realized that she had never truly seen how dangerous of a man that Jamie Brennan could be. The man she saw now was a lethal predator and Jimmy O'Rourke was his target. She briefly felt sorry for the man in front of her, but that passed.

"Get in the house Candace," he ordered leaving no room for an argument.

Andy didn't hesitate she left stepped away from O'Rourke and quickly made her way to the house. Once she was inside, she darted up the stairs towards her room where her window overlooked the drive way. Dialing Boyd on the way up the stairs, she horridly told him of the situation.

Units would be dispatched to the house all she had to do was get somewhere safe in the meantime. From her window, she saw O'Rourke and his men get into their car and leave and Brennan stalk his way back into the house. She hurriedly caught Boyd up on what was happening and barely managed to slide her phone in her back pocket before Brennan barged into her room.

"Pack a bag Candace," he said bluntly. "I'm putting you on a plan today. It's not safe with O'Rourke dropping by all the time."

"But Mr. Brennan," she stammered. "My ticket is for next week."

"Don't argue Candace, you've got to go today," he countered. "I'm sorry. It has to be today. Meet me down stairs in fifteen minutes."

Andy waited until she heard Brennan get down the hallway and called Boyd. Catching him up on what was happening, he told her to follow Brennan's orders and pack her bag. It looked like Andy would be getting extracted today and it was certainly sudden. She didn't miss the tiny tremor of nervousness in Boyd's voice as he told her follow Brennan's plans.

As she went down stairs with her one suitcase and a carryon bag, Andy prayed that she had everything important in her bag. Brennan met her on the stairs and took her bag ushering her out to the car.

"If you left something Candace," Brennan told her rushing her out the door towards the car, "I can always send it on to you."

"I think I got everything important," Andy replied numbly. Everything was happening so quickly. She prayed that Brennan really was talking her to the airport and that he hadn't somehow figured out that she was a cop. Her second prayer was that Boyd took this seriously and had some kind of plan. Andy really had no intention of going to Wisconsin, fake passport in her bag or not!

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

Brennan rushed her into the terminal and while she waited for him to purchase her ticket at God only knows what cost for same day travel, Andy couldn't resist checking her phone. Boyd still hadn't messaged her and she was getting nervous. It looked like she really was going to have to go to Wisconsin after all.

Heading towards the international terminal, Brennan surprised her by speaking again.

"I'm sorry you didn't get time to tell Don you were leaving," his face showed his pity in that, but also his worry. "There wasn't time. O'Rourke is dangerous and Don, while you care about him, well" he stammered a bit, "It might be good to get some distance."

Andy didn't even have time to protest Brennan's musings about Boyd before they hit the security check point. She was shaking a bit and knew that from his firm grip on her arm that Brennan could tell as well.

"I'm sorry you had to leave like this," Brennan said turning towards her apologetically. "Make amends with your father. Time is precious."

In that moment all Andy could do was nod at the man in front of her. He was a mass of contradictions and confused her, but she wanted to hug him. Her confusion only settled about her forcing her through the motions as the line for the security counter began moving.

"If you need anything Candace," he said meeting her eye. "You call me. If you see O'Rourke or you feel unsafe, you call me."

He forced her to accept his terms took his wishes for a safe trip with a nod. As she turned to go, his voice stopped her.

"Thank you Candace," he said in parting. "Maggie and Gracie loved you. You're a part of the family now."

Andy smiled and said her goodbyes one more time and turned to go. She knew that Brennan was watching her and she proceeded through security and down the terminal hoping that one of the GnG team members would intercept her.

When she reached her gate, Andy began to momentarily panic. She thought about not boarding her flight, but Boyd's words rang in her ears. Follow Brennan's plan in case he's got someone watching you. It was possible. She had waited nearly two hours when her flight was called to board. Just her luck, Brennan had gone all out and bought the a First Class ticket. Giving one last look around, Andy, boarded after the other passengers in her group and tried to mentally prepare herself for this trip and debated about whether or not to call Boyd.

She was lost in her thoughts and nearly missed the man standing at the end of the gate passageway until she collided into him. Apologies already spilling out of her mouth when two strong hands gripped her arms as they both stumbled a bit. Andy looked up flustered at the man and jerked with surprise.

"Sam!"

"I'm beginning to think you just like knocking me off my feet McNally," he teased looking her over for any signs of injury.

"What are you doing here," she asked incredulously as she simultaneously heaved a sigh of relief that this might actually all be over soon.

"Making sure you don't get on a plane," he rolled his eyes at her. "Unless you want to go to Wisconsin to visit your fake father?"

"Shut up," she grumped at him trying to resist a smirk.

He motioned for her to follow him out the small door on the side of the little hallway that she had seen airport employees use and down a small flight of stairs. They flanked the terminal and went through a small door and met Boyd and David with a few other team members there. For once, Boyd look relieved to see her and not pissed off at her. She shook her head at him.

He stepped up to her and with an honest to God smile on his face, he extended his hand to her. "Nice work Officer McNally."

She raised an eyebrow at him before Sam nudged her shoulder and she accepted his handshake.

"Time to debrief and go home," Boyd told her as he turned to go.

Andy looked over to Sam not really believing that the op was over. She felt his hand on her back encouraging her to follow Boyd all the while grateful that he was here with her. The idea of returning to her own life seemed terrifying to her right about now, and she knew that she'd need Sam's guidance to get back to normal.

"Let's go home," she whispered.


	19. Chapter 19 : Beginning of Part II

_**The latter half of 2012 sure decided it wanted to kick my butt, just like the tail end of the last few years has. Here's to 2013 looking better, post medical scares, rescheduled/cancelled wedding and trying to figure ourselves out. :) Thank you for sticking with me and this story, you guys are amazing, even after all my time away.**_

_**This chapter is for Princespain and Svugirl25 who have been ever so gently prodding my back to writing so I could continue. I hope you enjoy it!**_

_**Nikka**_

_**PS I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter of this story yet, so I hope the first offering of Part II helps redeem the story and me a bit!**_

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

Andy fidgeted at her desk. Boyd had pulled Sam under nearly two months after she had returned and that no he'd been gone nearly a month and half month already. Her time with the Brennan's felt like a lifetime ago, and since her return, her friends had been her support while other coppers seems to respect her just a bit more, no longer treating her so much like a rookie. She and Sam had had a few awkward moments that she could have sworn were going to to turn out to be more, but they just hadn't materialized.

Thinking back to the night that he had left, Andy couldn't help but feel devastated for the fact that she had realized two late that the good candy conversation had a completely different meaning and that she was ready. But, after two hours spent huddled on Sam's front steps, Andy had started to think that she and Sam would just never be able to get their timing in sync and want the same things at the same time. The thought was devastating to her.

Chris had taken notice of her moods in the months since she'd returned. At first, things with Sam had been tense as Chris rushed into the station and scooped her up in a bear hug asking her if she was sure that she was okay.

* * *

><p><em>Boyd had been practically radiating nervousness which was new emotion for Andy to witness from him on the drive back to 15 Division. The car ride had been tense filled mostly with Boyd's chatter about what to expect, and how they would keep up appearances in Wisconsin just in case Brennan had someone checking in on her. He also filled them in on how he would try to keep up appearances on his part in case Brennan decided to warn him away from Candace. <em>

"_Stranger things have happened," Boyd muttered looking in the rear view mirror at Andy. _

_She and Sam had remained relatively silent throughout the ride crushed in the middle seat of the van that was transporting the GnG group back to 15 Division. Sam leaned heavily against the door, but despite seeming to need space, he kept her pressed against him as closely as possibly from shoulder, to hip, to knee. Their hands remained interlocked as they rested on Sam's knee throughout the drive. Andy should have been embarrassed, but she needed Sam's strength as the adrenaline begin to wear off and the fear of seeing her friends for the first time in months set it. _

_Andy tried to absorb some of Sam's quiet strength on the ride, but when the van door opened, panic begin to set in as she lost contact with his hand. Sam slid his door open and then reached back to help her out of the van. Andy lagged behind the others towards the employee entrance to 15 Division. _

"_You alright McNally," Sam's calm voice penetrated her thoughts as he watched her carefully. Sam hadn't been oblivious to the way that she clung to him or how withdrawn she had become on the ride back to the precinct. He could literally feel her closing herself off the closer they got to home territory. That should have worried him, but instead in made him angry that she felt that insecure of what the reactions of her friends and peers. Didn't this crazy woman know how much everyone missed and needed her? Didn't she know that the entire division was holding its collective breath for her to return and bring with it all the optimism and faith in humanity that she forced everyone around her to love?_

"_I need a minute Sam." Her voice was no more than a whisper and she looked anywhere but directly at him. Boyd and the rest of the team disappeared into the building while Sam simply remained staring at her in the parking lot of 15 Division with his hands jammed into his pockets._

"_We've got time McNally," Sam replied. A smirk lingered at his lips and he continued, "Besides, its been a little quiet around here, you know, no overeager rookie with an allergy to silence and a constant ability to barrel headfirst into trouble." He motioned towards the doors behind him, "I'm not sure the place is quite ready to be put on high alert yet."_

_Andy's head had snapped up at his words and sometime around the phrase "allergy to silence," she felt her jaw go slack leaving her mouth hung open in what had to be the most unattractive look of disbelief she could muster. When she processed the fact that Sam was teasing her, Andy narrowed her eyes at him and snorted._

"_You missed me and you know it."_

_Sam's smirk fell off his face and a serious look replaced it. Andy immediately wanted to make a joke out of her comment, erase the awkwardness that had taken over, but Sam apparently had other ideas._

"_Of course I did McNally," he said gruffly. "Love working with you. Couldn't imagine my life without you." He saw the smirk tug at her lips as she remembered his words from the day she was shot at Super Nova. Just as she was about to make what he was sure was going to be a smart ass remark, he cut her off. "Everyone missed you McNally you scared the hell out of everyone when you just disappeared. You underestimate how much everyone cares here."_

_Andy nodded at his words, and worked to swallow thickly as she looked down on the ground suddenly finding the pavement extremely fascinating. The silence seemed to be laced with a heaviness that was threatening and scary when Sam felt the need to step towards her and place his hand on her back propelling her towards the door to the sally port. _

"_C'mon McNally," his gravelly voice lulled her into a false sense of momentary comfort. "Time to face the firing squad and hysterics." _

_When her feet halted their forward progress and she left out a scoff at his words, Sam leaned into her to whisper in her while reaching to open the door. "Don't worry, I've got your back McNally."_

_Stunned at his close proximity and his promise to be there with her, Andy failed to notice that he had successfully maneuvered them into the station and in a few short strides, gotten them into the bullpen where the sudden silence engulfed the room as 15 Division laid eyes on its missing rookie for the first time in months. _

_Mercifully, applause and couple yelps broke the silence causing Andy to blush and shrink back. Her first thought was to bolt, but Sam's firm hand on her back and presence at her side prevented her from going anywhere but towards Best's office where Sam was herding her. _

_Boyd and Best kept McNally locked in the Sergeant's office for two hours while they went over her final debrief before sending her on her way. As Sam closed the office door behind her, both were grateful that for the most part, everyone seemed to still be on shift and the bullpen was slightly quieter than when they had arrived. _

_With a quick exit and maybe some food if he could force her to agree in mind, Sam turned to Andy with a question. "Need a ride McNally or maybe something to eat?"_

_Before Andy could respond, someone yelling her name through the bullpen effectively broke the moment between the two partners. Andy jumped a bit started by the volume of the person shouting her name through the workplace. Spinning around on the bottom step, Andy saw Chris jogging towards her._

"_Andy," Chris shouted again finally reaching her and scooping her into a hug as he lifted her off the ground in a tight embrace. "God I've missed you! What were you thinking leaving without a word to any of us? Traci was going insane, Dov was pouting, and Gail got even well Gail because she missed you."_

_Sam watched as Chris scooped her up and then began his barrage of questions and slight guilt tripping. He wanted to step in tell Chris to lay off her for a bit, but the younger officer's babbling was excited and he clearly missed Andy while he was gone. The situation was proving a bit awkward because Sam wasn't really sure what the nature of the relationship was, he only knew that Chris had Andy in his personal space with his hands on her and Andy didn't seem to mind overly much as she stood too close to the younger man and looked up at him with a slight smile on her face._

"_Chris," Andy tried to interrupt his mini-lecture, but the man kept on rolling._

"_The apartment has been so quiet without you and dirty. Dov's a slob. God Andy! I'm so freakin' glad your back! Are you hungry? Of course you're hungry, let's go I'll even cook your favorite tonight." _

_Sam watched as Andy was pulled along behind an extremely excited Chris Diaz as he hauled her towards the exit. A sinking feeling hit the pit of his stomach as the realization that he just might have lost her again started hammering away at his head again. _

"_Three weeks, a month tops Sammy," Boyd said from behind him slapping Sam on the back. _

"_Huh?" Sam was truly bewildered at Boyd's statement and turned to look at the Detective behind him._

"_After today, I don't think it will be more than a month before Brennan retaliates against his former employers. I'll be ready to have you in position before the month is up. Your girl laid the ground work and Brennan isn't going to take her abrupt departure or the threats against her well."_

_Both Sam and Boyd looked over to Chris leading Andy towards the Division doors. The younger officer stopped to look at her momentarily and then he poked her in the side causing her to laugh at his antics before he tucked her into his side and they disappeared through the doors into the sally port. _

_Sam reached to scratch the back of his neck and looked over to Boyd. "Yeah, I'm in."_

* * *

><p>Andy tried to remember how many conversations she and Sam had had since her return, but they in fact had proved limited. She was forced to take a mandated week off from work during which they only exchanged a few texts and Chris hovered over her not letting her do anything for herself including looking at apartments despite the fact that Traci has shown she wouldn't leave her alone during the viewings.<p>

Somehow, since the day of the kidnapping, car fire, and Leslie's death, Andy had moved herself into the new condo and actually unpacked and hung pictures on the walls. Chris was there daily and Traci and Leo were by as much as possible or at least until Jerry ushered them home. Despite the contact revolving door of friends and their attempt to keep her busy, the fact that she missed Sam weighed heavily on her.

Somehow between her Chris catching a case with the do-gooder priest and Donovan Boyd strutting through the doors of 15 Division, Andy McNally found herself hauled in Best's office to find a smirking Boyd as the words "scavenger hunt" were uttered to her despair and Boyd's ever increasing amusement.

When she left the office to change into her street clothes, Boyd followed her. Looping an arm over her shoulder and pulling her towards him, Boyd's cocky attitude was in overdrive.

"Just like old times McNally," Boyd teased her grinning like a moron.

She scoffed and pushed him away. "I think I like it better when you hated me Boyd."

His only response was throwing his head back in a throaty laugh that only served to bring a scowl on her face.

Three hours later, Traci and Andy made there way through the door of the Alpine Inn just as it was getting dark. Traci's eyes wandered over the room quickly assessing the crowded bar and being full of the unsavory types. Andy responded to her questioning look with a shrug as she steeled her features to seem relatively unaffected. If Sam knew that Andy walked into this bar after a couple mentions of how bad of a place it could be and the type of clientele it attracted from his UC experience, he would probably throttle her.

A sudden wave of anxiety gripped her, until she realized she was feeling like a teenage about to get caught doing something wrong by her parents. Completely ridiculous! Besides, Andy shook her head to clear the unpleasant thoughts from her head, what Sam didn't know, couldn't hurt her. Right?

Eventually, Andy and Traci had worked there way towards the pool tables and realized pretty quickly that the could both score some cash and get some information about some more illicit activities by playing along and listening to the guys around them talk. Andy knowing that she was pathetic at pool huffed but stayed by the wall at the edge of pool table to watch Traci play against a moron who kept staring at her ass like she was an easy mark.

When Jamie Brennan came out of the crowd to approach Traci for a game, Andy's heart started to race. She hadn't seen the man in months and she was supposed to be in Michigan trying to rebuild her relationship with her dad. She tried to make her way towards the bar under the guise of needing a new drink when she heard Traci mention her friend to Brennan.

"Well why don't you introduce me to your friend," Brennan's smooth voice sounded calm and collected against the din of the bar.

"Sure, one second," Traci responded. Andy pretended not to hear her footsteps as she walked towards the bar. Feeling Traci's hand on her arm she turned with a smile.

"Traci," Andy said through her forced smile. "Whatever is about to happen, you roll with it. My name is Candace and you go with it and let me handle this."

She felt Traci's grip tense as she met Andy's eyes. Neither girl moved until Traci nodded. When a couple of burly guys moved, Andy had a clear line of sight on Jamie Brennan who was turned away from them taking a sip on his drink. Andy drew in a deep breathe as they approached.

Hearing the click of heels, Jamie Brennan turned towards the woman he had approached at the pool table and nearly started. His eyes went wide and his face clearly conveyed shock with a touch of confusion. Then almost as instantaneously, and in a way that had her comparing him to Sam again, Jamie's face hardened with a bit of anger and concern.

"Candace?"

"Mr. Brennan," Andy exclaimed stepping forward away from Traci. "I totally didn't expect to see you here."

Brennan stepped forward to hug her before pulling back and looking her over. Andy knew that he wasn't leering at her, but checking her over to make sure she wasn't any worse for the wear. "What are you doing in Toronto Candace? It's not safe for you."

Andy felt herself shrug and looked back over at Traci who was doing an outstanding job of keeping the surprise on her face to a minimum as she watched her friend and Brennan.

"Things didn't go so great with my dad," Andy said turning back towards Brennan. "We tried, we just love each other better with some distance. I came back to visit my friend Doreen here and figure some stuff out."

"Where have you been staying," Brennan asked her with clear concern.

"With Doreen. I'm okay, I promise," Andy smiled up at him. "Haven't reconnected with anyone else in Toronto just yet. I've only been here a few days."

"There any reason for that the of _connection_," Brennan questioned as he took a sip from his beer bottle.

Andy smiled a bit and shrugged. "Nope," she responded adding an extra pop on the "p."

After a few more minutes of conversation, Jamie challenged "Doreen" to a game of pool while reminding Candace from the few times they had played at the house that she was terrible.

"Why don't you sit this game out Candace," Brennan teased her while pushing her towards a table. "Tell you what, my buddy JD here will keep you company while Doreen and I play." Andy felt nervous as Brennan turned from her to call out to his friend. "Hey JD, why don't you keep my girl here company while I challenge her friend to a game of pool."

Andy felt the blush creep up over her cheeks as she looked towards the man Brennan was speaking to. Her heart stopped as Sam turned towards her with his bottle pressed to his lips. She watched in shock at his eyes looked to Brennan first then saw her standing there with Brennan's arm wrapped around her.

A string of explicative laced through Sam's mind as he saw Andy being guided towards him by Brennan. What the hell was she doing here of all places? When he got out of this op, he and his rookie, nay, partner were going to have a very long, very painful conversation about the places she chose to frequent.

"Boss," he responded with a question in his voice.

"JD, this is Candace," Brennan introduced the pair and seemed satisfied when they shook hands politely. "She was my daughter's nanny and close friend. Maybe you can sit with her and keep some of the less desirable patrons of this place away from her while I play a game of pool?"

As Andy went to protest, Brennan pushed her towards the bar stool and leaned towards her. In a fatherly tone he warned her, "We'll talk about your choice of bars later Candace."

Sam watched amused as Andy blushed at Brennan's words. Despite the danger of turning up here, Sam kind of liked that the scolding of Andy McNally fell to someone else right now. God, he had missed her, but this wasn't a safe situation and his body was screaming at him to get her and Nash who he could see over Brennan's should out of here.

"JD, a word," Brennan said firmly nodding for the other man to follow him towards the pool table. "Watch out for her, she shouldn't be here."

"Sure boss, I got it."

"JD," the firmness in Brennan's voice caused Sam to turn back towards his mark. "Don't mess with her either. She's family."

Thoroughly warned and slightly grateful that Andy had an ability to worm her way into anyone's heart, Sam towards back towards her and got about the business of finding out just what the hell she was doing at the Alpine Inn and looking like she did to boot.

Two hours later, Traci was hailing a cab for her and Andy while Sam slipped a wad of cash and couple plastic bags into Andy's coat pocket. When she looked at him, he winked at her and motioned for her to lead the way outside.

As the cab pulled up, Brennan insisted that he see both girls into the cab and instill a bit of fear into the cabbie about making sure they got home safe. Once he had secured a promise from Candace to call him tomorrow for lunch, Brennan turned to go back into the bar.

Sam's mind was wandering all over the place, but the relief of seeing Jamie Brennan come back into the bar alone was nearly overwhelming. Sam had been able to get out of Andy that she had been on one of Boyd's scavenger hunts and that he had personally dropped them off ten blocks away from here. He made a mental note to himself about a very unpleasant conversation he would have about Boyd in the very near future about picking McNally of all people to drop so close to his op. With her luck it was no wonder she would blindly fall over Sam.

When he heard her voice behind him again, Sam watched to simultaneously shake and kiss her. Luckily for him, his sense and need to protect her won out. He responded to her simply with a dumbfounded phrase, "I'm with my boss."

He watched the hurt register in his eyes and felt immediately sorry for how he said it. Sam had to get her out of there, Brennan was already talking about her. He wished more than anything that he could take the hurt he saw in her face away.

"Okay then," she swallowed. "I'm gone."

Watching her turn and leave was like a punch in the gut. Every fiber of Sam's being was screaming at him to go after her. He couldn't help but feeling that there was so much more meaning behind her words as she fled the bar.

"JD," Brennan slapped her shoulders causing him to turn towards his boss. "A woman like that doesn't come along everyday."

Sam looked at the other man in disbelief. Was he giving him permission to go after her? Brennan took a swig of beer before looking over to him and continued.

"That being said, you hurt her. I hurt you. She's got a heart of gold that one and she's been hurt enough."

Sam like he was having an out of body experience as he nodded at Brennan and slid off the bar stool. "Thanks boss. I, uh," Sam struggled to find the right words. "I understand."

Sam didn't need any more prompting to go away Andy. His impatience to get outside before she could get away made him anxious. Pushing the door open, the shock of the cold air barely registered as he saw her back facing him. The only thought coming into his mind when he reached out to her was getting her out of the cold.


	20. Chapter 20: The Morning After

Sam ushered Andy into the warmth of his apartment , but left her just inside the door before turning to the breaker box on the wall behind his front door to flip a breaker that cut off the cameras. Turning back towards her, Sam pushed her up the last few steps into the apartment as he locked the door and made sure the chain and deadbolt were firmly in place before he followed her up the stairs. His hands moved to take her coat as she shrugged it off her shoulders as she inspected his living space.

"It's much better than the last one," her voice and face clearly displayed humor. There might have also been a bit a relief there as well, but Sam was trying to stay focused on the task at hand and that was getting her the hell out here and away from Jamie Brennan.

"It's okay," he shrugged noncommittally as he watched her wander around his space. His eyes followed her around the room, drinking in the sight of her fingers skimming over the wood of his kitchen table that was ridiculously large for a man with no family to have, but it came with the apartment, so it was what it was. Damn. Sam hated that phrase, but seeing her turn to look at him with a playful smile, his mind became devoid of thought.

When he saw her take a step towards his bed, Sam suddenly found his voice. "Andy," he shrugged a big and cleared his throat before trying again. "You, uh," he paused watching her eyebrow quirk up as he twisted her coat in his hands. "You can't stay."

"I can't," she questioned with her eyebrow arching higher and her smirk becoming more feral.

"No," he shook his head firmly. The danger that she was just by being seen by Brennan again was making him antsy. As much as he wanted her to stay, to talk to her, he wanted her gone, away from here. Safe.

"McNally, I'm gonna call you a cab," he stated evenly meeting her eye. "You're gonna go back to the precinct and you're gonna get into your uniform. Then you're going give what I gave you in the bar to Boyd and when this scavenger hunt. You're not going to tell Boyd about tonight and you're going to keep your head down and stay out of trouble."

He watched her plop herself onto his table top and purse her lips before looking up at him. "No, I'm not."

"McNally," his voice held a warning and she knew she was pushing him to far. When he saw her shaking his head to defy him again, he cut her off before she could utter a response that would test his patience. "Brennan isn't a joke McNally, he saw you. You shouldn't be here. You shouldn't have been in that bar tonight!"

"I'm not leaving Sam," she responded firmly, not balking at his bossy demeanor. Truthfully, Andy adored it just a little bit when Sam decided to switch into full on protector mode. In an odd sense, it was incredibly sexy, but Andy wasn't sure she would ever admit it to him or anyone else in this lifetime.

Any other time, Sam might have found her defiance slightly amusing. This girl loved to challenge him and he kind of liked it, but right now, he was anything but amused with her stubbornness. He could feel a headache forming behind his eyes. Releasing the death grip he had on her coat, Sam raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose to try and relieve some of the tension in his head. He felt himself huff out a breath at her before trying to look her in the eyes.

Andy looked at him with a smirk on her face as she fingered the buttons on her shirt. It was a nervous habit, but one she had needed to do to divert some of her energy. Normally, Andy wouldn't have worried providing of course that Sam was there, but when his confidence wavered, Andy had to admit her anxiety was heightened. Seeing the way he wore his worry in his stiffened posture and the way he hadn't gotten into her personal space, Andy had to admit that there might be some cause for concern here.

"McNally," Sam started not moving from his spot across the room. "This isn't funny, Brennan saw you. He talked to you. He knows you're back in Toronto. You just threw yourself back in the middle of it again!"

"Brennan likes me," Andy countered. "He wanted me out of the city. There's no danger. I'll talk to him like he asked and tell him I went back to the States."

"It's not going to be that simple McNally," he retorted. "Nothing is ever that simple."

She shrugged at him and went back to examining the room. Andy knew that Sam was struggling with her presence, and truthfully, she was a bit as well. This was the second time she had stumbled into one of his ops and the third time she had fallen blindly into a UC that could have some pretty serious repercussions. The McNally luck was astounding.

Wrapped up in her thoughts, Andy didn't notice that he had come to stand in front of her while she sat on his kitchen table. He cleared his throat causing her to jump a little bit. It was obvious that he had been standing in front of her for a while. Tilting her head up to meet his gaze, her breath almost caught when she realized just how close they were now. They were close enough to feel the heat off each other's bodies.

Andy felt herself hold her breath as she watched Sam's face. When he took another step closer, he heart started to beat faster. Involuntarily, she tilted her chin up a bit more.

Sam was only inches away from her face now. She closed her eyes as his hand came up to rest on the side of her face. The urgency and expectation was growing by the second and she leaned her face into his touch.

"McNally," his gravelly voice sounded a bit lower than usual.

As she she opened her eyes to look at him, Andy nearly jumped when she heard a phone ring. The ringing was all it took for them to jump apart. Sam muttering a curse as he turned away from her, pulling the phone out his pocket and looking at the screen before looking back up to her. He held his finger up to his lips indicating for her to be silent before he answered.

"Yeah." Sam's voice was gruff when he answered. Gone was any trace intimacy that laced his voice just moments before. Andy fidgeted while she listened to him talk.

"Yeah, we had drinks at the Alpine," Sam responded dryly as looked at her. When she saw his lips purse a bit she blushed. "Funny story about tonight," he said in a voice that indicated it was anything but funny. "Seems there was a scavenger hunt and a couple kiddies wandered their way into the bar looking to score."

Andy felt her blush deepen as she realized that Sam must be talking to Boyd. As much as Sam might be mad at her for using a past conversation to get ahead in Boyd's little game, she knew that Boyd wouldn't escape Sam's anger for dropping them so closely to his location. It was asking for trouble and normally Boyd would have wanted her as far away from Sam and his op as possible. Something wasn't quite right.

"He saw and talked to her," Sam's angry voice broke Andy away from her wandering thoughts. "He wants to talk to her again."

Feeling her skin crawl a bit, Andy's comfort level dropped considerably. Positive that she was in trouble for somehow bumping into Sam, she was fully considering Boyd's wrath at the turn of events with Brennan, especially when her op didn't turn up anything and she had effectively screwed her exit. She watched as Sam seemed to grow more agitated listening to Boyd's voice.

"What do you mean they're watching my place," Sam demanded. Andy watched his wide eyed as made his way towards the side of the windows and looked down to the street. She could see the hyper vigilance that Sam displayed as he begin to lower the blinds and block the view despite being on an upper floor of the building.

"Well, I can't let her leave until the morning then," Sam snapped a bit a Boyd. He was making his way around the apartment clearly looking for areas of weakness should someone decide to stop by. Andy for her part hadn't moved from the table as she watched Sam prowl his UC apartment. Remaining still was her best defense against his worry and his temper right now.

When Sam turned the corner leaving the stairs that led to the door where he was presumably checking the locks, she could her the anger rising in his voice. Apparently he could get even more upset with Boyd than he already was.

"What do you think Brennan thinks she's here for?"

Andy winced at the implication of Sam's words, but she didn't move off the table. Sam pinched the bridge of his nose, a sure sign that he was getting a stress headache. "I'll put her in a cab in the morning. She'll be back on time for check in."

When he was done, Sam tossed his phone away and watched as it thudded against the table that Andy was sitting on. He looked her over noticing that she hadn't moved from where she sat on his table. Her face showed her worry as her mind began to over think the situation.

They both needed their heads in the game and clear to get out of this mess. Undoubtedly if Brennan realized she was a cop, she would be infinitely more danger because of how close she had gotten. That alone helped to center Sam and make him focus on the tasks at hand.

"You're going to have to stay here tonight," Sam said looking at her. "Brennan's got guys watching my place."

"So," she questioned, suddenly worried about her presence in the middle of his UC. "Maybe JD isn't very much fun and I felt the need to leave."

Sam snorted and shook his head at her stubbornness. "You're staying."

Andy pursed her lips and just shrugged. She knew better than to argue with Sam right now. An awkwardness settled over them as she slid off the table and listened to Sam tell her about what Boyd's take on the situation was.

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

The next morning, Sam put Andy into a cab driven by one of the GnG officers that would take her back to the Division where she could report to Boyd and figure out the next step. It had been a long sleepless night with Sam pacing his apartment while his partner slept curled up in his bed. Despite her protests that they were both adults, Sam wanted to avoid the temptation of lying next to Andy when he knew that he couldn't give in to his emotions and desires.

He had let out a huff as he came down the steps from his apartment seeing a few cars on the street. The cab was waiting for him already and he recognized Romero in the driver's seat and felt a bit of the tension leave his chest. Romero could be trusted to get Andy back to the Division so that she could be clear. It hadn't escaped his notice that the car Boyd alerted him to was still halfway down the block, though he tried to ignore it as he ushered Andy toward the cab.

Leaning down to speak to her, Sam simply greeted Romero and then told her to tell Boyd everything. Closing the door he tapped on the roof of the car and watched it pull away. The loneliness of UC creeping up around him again as he watched the cab drive away. He had the distinct feeling that he would be seeing Andy well Candace again, but he hoped that Boyd would find a way to keep her out of Brennan's notice.

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

"You set me up Boyd," Andy accused as she paced in Frank's office. Her staff Sargent merely watched her as she paced. From the look on his face, Andy was pretty sure that Frank felt the same way.

"How'd I know you were going to literally trip over Sammy," Boyd countered.

"You knew he was working Brennan and you dropped me off in an area where it was already a huge risk that we'd bump into each other!"

Boyd smirked at and her shrugged. He wasn't going to deny that just like her op had little success in getting evidence against Brennan, so to did Sam's. The man had been under almost two months and he'd made as little progress as she had. After nearly a year tied up in UC work, Donovan Boyd needed to make something happen and he hoped this was it.

"Brennan likes you McNally or rather he likes Candace," Boyd countered her argument. "You were never in danger. Seeing you sparked his curiosity."

"At what cost," Andy demanded. Warning lights were flashing in her brain as she tried to remember that she was speaking to a senior officer.

"Are you saying I'm going to be down another officer Boyd," Frank asked standing up and crossing his arms over his chest. Best's expression clearly belied that he was less than impressed with the situation, but there was also concern.

"Possibly, Frank," Boyd responded casually. "Brennan liked Candace, he wanted to protect her. Maybe her reappearance could be a good thing for Sammy and his op."

"This situation had been prove to have been a coincidence Boyd," Frank threatened. "Because if I find out that you jeopardized two of my officers -"

Frank was cut off by Boyd's cell phone ringing. Best and McNally watched as he pulled it out of his pocket and then tossed it to McNally. She caught it with a questioning expression on her face. It looked like her cover phone.

"It's for you Candace," Boyd said with a smirk.

Andy took a breath as Frank and Boyd watched her answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Candace," Jamie Brennan's voice said from the speaker of her phone.

Andy felt a bit of panic as her eyes shot up to Boyd as she tried to make her voice sound genuine, "Mr. Brennan, what a surprise."

"I told you I'd call you Candace," he responded warmly. "I was hoping that we could do lunch today?"

"Sure, Mr. Brennan," Andy replied cheerily. "Where should I meet you?"

Andy listened to Brennan's instructions to meet her at the same little restaurant that she had met him and Maggie for dinner at all those months ago. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but Andy knew that he was trying to make her feel safe. Pick a neutral but familiar ground to meet. She made sure to end the call on a good note and then hung up.

"I'm meeting him for lunch at one o'clock," Andy said blankly to Boyd and Best.

"Great," Boyd exclaimed far too happily for her or Best's liking. "Let's get you prepped McNally. It's time for Candace to make a come back."

"Sam's gonna kill me," Andy mumbled under her breath as she looked to Best for permission to follow Boyd. At his nod and a calm "Be careful McNally," from Best, Andy followed an almost giddy Boyd out to the sally port to get ready for her lunch date.

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

The restaurant was still relatively busy for a late lunch rush when Andy stepped inside. She saw Jamie Brennan at a table and made her way over to him.

"Mr. Brennan," she smiled warmly at him despite the butterflies in her stomach. "Thank you for inviting me to lunch."

Her former mark's face was lit up a bit with a smile that she hadn't seen since his wife and daughter were alive. He stood to great her, pulling her into a slightly awkward hug that Andy could assume was awkward because her inability to feel at ease deceiving this man.

Brennan reached to pull out her chair for her and greeted her warmly, "Candace, I'm glad you could make it.

They caught up with small taught that should have been more difficult and stilted than it was, but this man always had a way of making her easy when he should have had her on high alert with her cop instincts in full gear. She restated her back story well and thanked Boyd for quizzing her almost non-stop trying to trip her up about she and her dad were at impasse and that she wanted to come back to Toronto to see friends. Brennan in turn warned her that friends like Doreen, who hung out at the Alpine probably weren't the best sort. All in all, Brennan's interest seemed to be rather fatherly towards her, but then he decided to up the ante a bit.

"So did JD catch up with you after you left," Jamie asked her taking a sip of his coffee.

Andy nearly choked on hers, but decided to go with the truth. _Keep it as close the truth as possible._ Besides, Boyd already told her than Brennan's men had seen her leave this morning after watching Sam's cover apartment all night.

"Yeah," she blushed and looked down at her coffee. "He seems like a nice guy."

Brennan leaned back in his chair and seemed to assess her answer and body language before he started talking again. "He has a past Candace, and it's not all pretty or law abiding."

Andy felt herself shrug noncommittally, "So do you." Her eyes widened at her own response and she sat up straighter in her chair. "I mean, um -" she stammered, " I mean, you changed."

Brennan let out his head fall back as he laughed a bit at her stuttering response. "That I do Candace. That I do." He sobered up a bit and his face turned serious. "Just be careful, that's all I ask. And if something happens, you tell me?"

Andy merely nodded at him and took another sip of her coffee. "He was very gentlemanly," she said thinking about how Sam made her sleep in his bed while refusing to crawl in next to her. She doubted he slept at all last night. "I think I like him."

Brennan nodded at her and shrugged. "Yeah, he kinda grows on you."

Andy smirked but allowed the conversation to flow to more neutral topics. Just as Boyd had coached her, Andy led Brennan to believe she would be staying with her friend Doreen for a while trying to figure out her next step.

When he asked if she would go to lunch h with him next week again, Andy readily agreed knowing that Boyd would be pissed in she didn't. Just as Sam had done that morning, Brennan put her in a cab and even went as far as to pay the fare for her after lunch. Andy wasn't sure what to make of this meeting, but she couldn't help but feel that Boyd might just be wrong about Jamie Brennan and that Sam needed to get out before something went wrong.

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

Sam had been on edge all day and he knew the reason was because of McNally. His mind kept going over all of the ways that this could go wrong and she could get hurt, and there would be no way he could protect her from a UC op. Brennan had been eagle eying him all morning and it was making him uneasy which was pretty difficult to do. When he left, Sam's uneasiness escalated a bit.

Two hours later, Sam had missed Brennan returning to the warehouse until the man's voice startled him out of his work. "I just came from lunch with Candace," Brennan said. "She seems to like you."

Sam was startled and couldn't believe that Boyd would let Andy near Brennan again, but that was discussion for another time. He needed to stay focused here. "Yeah," he smiled a bit cockily. "I kinda like her too, she's something else." _Ain't that the truth._

Brennan took a step towards him, "Look JD, I like you. You're a solid guy and seem like you want to turn it around a bit. My guys saw Candace leave your place this morning. She's a good kid and I don't want to see her hurt."

Sam was reeling at the fact that Brennan had admitted to watching his place. The damn guy was honest he'd give him that. "I didn't realize I was trespassing," he stated trying to make it look like he was willing to back off.

"Candace is family," Brennan countered. "My wife and daughter loved her. She gets under your skin, I get that, but she's been through too much to have one more person give her shit. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Sam said clearly a bit shaken. Andy McNally definitely had a way of endearing herself to everyone around her, even the bad guys. "I, uh,- I'd like to see her again. If that's okay?"

"Completely up to her JD," Brennan responded. "Just don't hurt my girl."

Sam watched Brennan walk away clearly nonplussed. He was going to kill Boyd for letting Andy get involved again. Sam had no idea how he was supposed to keep working Brennan when the man so fixated on watching his every move to make sure he didn't hurt her. This was a mess.

_**OoOoOoO**_

_**Hopefully this makes up for the delay. I struggled with the cut off. This one seems to be losing steam so it might be moving quickly to wrap up. Thank you for all of your support your ideas and reviews keep me going and make me laugh. Sorry about the very bad grammar of the last chapter, thank you for pointing it out to me and I hope this chapter was better!**_

_**As always thanks to ones sticking with it! And thanks to those just finding this story... you're reviews and kind words are truly amazing and I am very grateful!**_

_**Nikka**_


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